Untitled
by Boredsowritting01
Summary: 17 years later. Rose and Dimitri decide to take everyone to Baia to meet Dimitri's family and for Lissa and Adrian to meet Mark and Oksana. How will the Belikov family take to Dimitri not being a Stirogi? What will happen with Rose/Dimitri's child and Christian/Lissa child get kidnapped? Who will die? Who will be safe? What would life be back at school? Rated T and Untitled for now
1. Prolog

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy's characters.**

_Author's Note: Thank you for reading. -J_

Prolog:

After Lissa became Queen, Dimitri and I lived at the Palace. Since it was THE Palace Dimitri and I lived with all the other Guardians. The Royals thought to stop all these Dhampirs getting together they would separate the women and the men. Like we were back at St. Vlad.s, It was ridiculous.

Dimitri and I were going to meet Lissa and Christian for lunch. It was rare when this happened we were the ones that usually watched them eat. They wanted to tell us something and we wanted to tell them something. Dimitri and I have been sending some time in the human world, we have our own place close by. It was something about living in the Palace and being watched constantly that we didn't like. After sending time apart; Strigoi and going rogue we had liked the feel of have privacy.

Just living here wasn't going good for us. We were there early and looked around the place. Even if it was booked out just for the Queen and Guardians would be outside at all times we looked inside for the people against her. Christian and Lissa had gotten married shortly after Lissa was crowned Queen. It has been about a half a year since then. It has gotten laid back as the Moroi's and few Dhampirs became use to the idea of them ruling our world.

Lissa and Christian finally showed up. Lissa hugged both of us while Christian shook our hands and sat down. We order drinks for now, as everyone wasn't feeling hungry at the moment. When they came I drunk it, half way through the Dr. Pepper I placed it down. The Moroi waitress asked if we wanted anything to start off to eat. We lightly refused.

"So, Rose and Dimitri." We finally told Lissa that just because we are both their Guardians doesn't mean she always have to say 'Guardian Hathaway', 'Guardian Belikov' especially when they asked us to stop calling them King and Queen.

"We invited you here for lunch today because we wanted to tell you something." Lissa has gotten so, what's the word, sophisticated since the crowning.

"And what is that?" I ask I have learned that since I am technically number 2 out of the Guardian relationship. Dimitri is number one. Anything that goes on in the Moroi world we know about it. Any 'war' we are called. We were label the best in the business, therefore all Guardians come to us if anything happens. Rules, regulations, ANYTHING! You know how tiring that is; Dimitri and I want to leave. We want to forget about this place. This is what we want to tell them.

"We're pregnant." My mouth dropped opened. The highest of Royal babies- the one who will keep both their families running. Lissa had the laws changed to where if they were up for crowning they could get crowned even if they had no other blood related family. So it didn't matter, but it was just a shock that this soon they would have a child together. I knew way to well that they loved each other way too much, that it could be controlled while she- they were in office.

"Congratulations." Dimitri said, and nods he head once. Everyone was waiting for my response. I knew her long enough, I knew her and Christian all too well. I don't think they were waiting for my approval, or were they?

"Yeah, I'm so happy for you guys." I smiled and drunk the rest of my Dr. Pepper.

"We wanted to tell you guys first. You're our main Guardians and Friends we thought you should know." Lissa continued.

"Thank you for telling us first. Do you know what sex it is?"

"Not yet. We have been going to a human doctor as we don't want the Royals to know yet." I have no idea how they could be doing that unless they've been using their powers. Rather her powers, slowly her powers have been getting stronger and she has been learning things that she didn't know while in school. They knew about us leaving the Palace to get time together, and have an actual life. I guess they wanted time alone. If when you were the King and Queen and ask for that, you truly do not get that. So I can understand.

"We had something to tell you too. But we do not want to take from your happiness." I said, slightly smiling.

"NO! TELL US!" Lissa going back to her usual happy self.

"Dimitri and I want to leave the Moroi- Dhampir life." Lissa's face fell.

"Oh no. It is not like that. We both felt happiness and freedom. We want that again. To be free from all these laws and what we can do and what we can't do. We want our child to grow up in a HUMAN world."

"But you can't leave me-" It had then clicked in her head. "ARE YOU SERIOUS?" We both nod. We knew it couldn't be another's person child because I've only been with Dimitri. We have no idea how this could've happened but it did. No one could tell that I was pregnant, I was about to give birth in 2 months. We didn't know until a month ago that I was. When I became very ill one morning.

"Let's celebrate!" Lissa said, drinking more. I had none so I pretended. All thought from Dimitri and I wanting to leave the Moroi world were forgotten. Best friends pregnant at the same time, you might say some best friends are ecstatic if that happens, I am not. That just complicate things Dimitri and I had planned.


	2. 17 Years Later

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy and/or characters. **

_Author's Note: This is in Mason's (Dimitri's and Rose's child point of view) it'll flip between Adrian and Mason. (Chapter 1 = Mason, Chapter 2= Adrian, Chapter 3= Mason, ect.) Thank you for reading. - J _

17 Years Later

I was waiting for the gang in the commons. The benches that was under the tree nearest the boys housing, I was the eldest of the group and somehow the 'leader'. Don't ask me how that had become. Maybe it's because of who my parents are, maybe it's because I am better at everything I do, or maybe even that I am seriously the eldest. It was the end of the school day, also the day where the Moroi of our group practice their powers.

The first to show up was my Girlfriend of two years, Nicole. I met her, her 9th grade year. She just moved here, and as luck has it. My parents and her 'father' know each other. Her father was moved back to the Palace after his punishment was served. Neither of our parents was straight fourth about why he had a punishment to be served out. I didn't care, I was happy it had brought me Nicole. I asked her to be my girlfriend about six months after knowing her. We've been happy ever since.

"Hey Babe." She kissed my cheek. We try to keep the PDA to a minimum, not only because her parents work here, but for the sake of the people around us. It was perfectly natural for young Dhampirs to experiment and date while in school. But being as whom my parents are, the rules seemed different for me. I hate it.

"Hey." I said in response. She sat next to me and waited for the other three guys. Now let me give you a little detail about our group we have going.

Dylan, Moroi, his power? Water. His parents died in a small attack of his house while he was at school. It wasn't strigoi, just seemed like a human murder. It left him to be known as the weak Moroi. I have no idea why anyone would think that. His parents believed strongly about using their powers to protect themselves against harm. I think the weak came in through it being a HUMAN murderer and not it being from our world. It doesn't matter to me. He has a girlfriend named Sophie.

Sophie is a dhampir, from what I could tell from the books. One that shouldn't be, you see her parents are a Royal Moroi and an Alchemist (human). They weren't accepted by anyone, but the Queen seemed fit that what happened happened and shall leave it be. She ordered protection on them, by my parents no other. They didn't have to tell us about this, our parents I mean, because we heard it from one of the Guardians one day. I guess he thought we weren't there. Anyways, Since the Queen ordered it, people got use to the idea. Still leaving her as a Dhampir who should be dead.

Finally, Alexis. Alex has been my best friend since birth. Our mothers grew up together, leaving us to grow up together also. She is the highest of Royals. Princess of the Moroi world. It's not only that she's Royal and the Princess that she's constantly in the eye of our world. She seriously doesn't want to be in constant view.

And me- Mason. I was told I was named after a dhampir who died helping protect my mom, Nicole's father, and a Moroi. Whoever it was I am proud to be named after him. My mom has showed me pictures of him. When they were younger, I wish I seriously knew him. My parents told me that I am special, not only because I was created against nature. I was THEIR 'little' miracle. Both my parents are Dhampirs, when they got too into the information. They once mentioned that my father was the only one my mother has been with. I had them stopped, that was too much for me. The reason I am under constant watch? Of whom my parents are. The greatest Dhampirs ever known! Everyone adult that has met them wants me to be like them. I have no idea if I can reach up to their expectations.

Slowly everyone had showed up. We ended up to a cabin my parents stay at when they come and visit. All of our parents warned us about practicing Dylan's and Alexis's powers too much. We practice them about twice a week. Then other than powers practicing we teach them hand to hand combat. It probably wouldn't help against a strigoi but at least they wouldn't be totally defenseless.

"So where do we begin?" Nicole said, leaning against a tree.

"Well. Dylan and Alexis, what is your game?" I say standing with my legs parallel with my shoulders.

"How about we start with where we were last time?" Alexis says getting ready to attack Dylan. Alexis power is fire, she took after her father. Much to her mothers' agreement. Dylan's is water, neither of his parents had that power, which he disliked. His mother had Fire while his father was air. He thinks it would be cooler if he had at least one of their powers.

So last time Dylan had started to surround Alexis with water and she was using her power to fight it away. We truly didn't want them to get hurt, but learn to protect themselves with the powers they have. Fighting off other powers wouldn't come in handy unless another Moroi attacks them. But it's good for them to learn to use it against someone. So, we let them begin; Nicole, Sophie, and I all pointed out little things that could help them with fighting with the powers.

I mainly watched it was good to know what exactly Moroi are capable of if they believe what all our parents, the supporters, and we believe. It was wonderful to watch them, just for the heck of it.

"Stop!" I say, when Alexis started setting things on fire around Dylan to corner him. I let them fight longer than usual, they had even went over our combat time.

"Let's go rest." We head inside the cabin. I passed drinks and towels around for Dylan and Alexis.

"So Alexis, what time will the Royals be here?" Nicole asked, moving closer to me and holding my hand.

"The usual time mid-afternoon." She said moving over to the table. That also means all of our parents would be here. Not that we resent our parents, it's just that we hate what we have come from and what it means. Okay that took it over a little, I mean. It is what they done that made us the weird ones. We don't want to be the weird ones, but we're exactly happy where we are in life.

Dylan looks down. Most of the time when our parents are here, we spend most of the time with them. Alexis because she is the Princess, and me because it's rumored I am going to protect her, and I need to be ready for that life. Nothing is a sure thing, because from what I heard around campus they do not want one that interest wouldn't cloud their judgment. Meaning, my parents, I guess. They want me to protect her as much as the queen does. Sophie, I think that's mainly because her parents go where ever The Queen and King go, I know of her father's powers and the heal each other when needed. Other than that, they do nothing and take Sophie out most of the time they are here. None of us know exactly what they do when they go out, but I have an idea.

"Hey Dylan, you could hang around me." Nicole said. Her parents are here every day, and are much busier than Sophie, Alexis, and my parents are.

"Sure. Maybe we can go over hand to hand combat skills." He said, nodding.

"Or maybe I can talk to my parents about you coming with us." Sophie said. We all turns toward her, this was new. They've been going out almost 3 years, I think. Never once had she volunteered to ask about if he could come. I don't know if he has even had a talk with her father. He lives with me and my parents when we go to the palace. He has no other family, so I talked to my parents about it. After a long time they'd said yes. Even when we're at the Palace I've never seen them together- her father and Dylan. It was in fact weird.

"Look, I want my dad to meet you. Not hear about you, not see you, but have an actual conversation with you." She reached for his hand, intertwining their fingers. That would leave Nicole friendless for about a week.

"Well, what will I do?" Nicole said, looking desperate.

"Go to the gym, fight with the bag. Study about strigoi. Or run around the track some build stigma." I say, shrugging. Honestly trying to help, but not sure if that was the right way.

"Thanks babe," She kissed my chin. "But I rather have a few breaks from school." They laughed.

"Look, he might be right. The higher you score at the end of your senior year, where put you where you'll be for most of your life." Dylan said, getting up and walking over to the sink.

"Like the Palace…" Alexis mentioned.

"Or a Moroi who wants a great protector, you could travel the world." Sophie practically yelled.

"Shhh." We all said in hension. I looked at my watch, it was almost ending time for dinner.

"Lets go eat." I was last out the door, shutting and locking it. My parents had given me an extra key a while back and that's what we used.

We made it just before they starting ending the dinner for the classmates. Nicole and I usually share a dinner, we do not eat much. Therefore able to share, but get two of everything just in case though. It's unusual for us to finish everything on our plate. We do it, mainly because we always eat a huge breakfast, medium lunch, then a small dinner. It wasn't about eating right, or working off what we eat. It was good for us to build stomach control. My mom told me stories where she was held captive for days and not fed most of the time. Which made her unable to use her full strength, and after hearing that. I made sure I'll be able to handle limited amount of food, but still be able to use my strength. I'm not sure how that'll pay off when- if that ever happens, but I am not taking the chance.

"Tomorrow is Saturday, what do we have planned before the parents come?" Sophie questioned, we always do something before our parents come over. Once we sneaked out of our dorms and spent the night and half day in the church, drinking the night before. We couldn't every well go to our parents drunk, so that time we made sure we only had hang overs. This time I have no idea what we are doing.

"Any ideas?" I looked around the table as they shrug. _Great! _

"How about we just hang out at the cabin?" Nicole said. Well that would give me time to clean up our mess from the past year.

"Sure you guys can help me clean. I usually do it tonight, but if we're just gonna hang, we can clean after a while. If my parents find out what we've done in that cabin. I'll be killed."

"Might as all, we forgot to come up with something this year." Alexis said. We left shortly after that. Dylan and I walked the girls to their dorms and we walked to ours. Most of the Dhampirs share rooms now, but usually in the same grade level. Dylan happened to be mine. Ever since the attack on St. Vladimir about eighteen years ago. They have a Moroi room with a novice. I was the last one pair in my grade so they gave me with the first one up from the next level down.

Every dorm has two classmates in it. With one Guardian at each exit, two in the (what they now call) rec room, and about 50 patrolling the grounds while we sleep, they switch out every month. They've really wanted to make sure that didn't happen again, I guess. This was only at night as all the guardians are either, meeting with updates with the schooling and changes need. Or patrolling issues and sometimes either to let some dhampirs leave the campus and minimize the guardians or keep them. I know this because most of the time the BIG meeting is when the Queen is here when I'm following her and Alexis around. I hope this years' meeting will change, but it is not my call. I wasn't alive when all this happened.

"Dylan. I know it's none of my business that is why I haven't asked. But why exactly haven't you talked to Sophie's father?" By this time we have reached our room and he is on his bed. I took off my shirt and walked over to my dresser to change into pajama pants, I sleep shirtless. It is more comfortable.

"She said it's his powers, that he can see my aura and know what I truly feel about things. I also think it's because she thinks I am not ready." He moves to the closet taking off his clothes and placing them in this 'dirty' pile. I don't get into it, but I am going to take it that he just likes sleeping in his boxers.

"Are you ready?" He sighs and lies on his bed.

"I have no idea. His powers are creepy. But it is not just that, he is a ROYAL- The next highest ranking of Royals. One that can make or break what people will think about me."

"You of all people shouldn't think that way. Look I know I'm technically under you, and I shouldn't be telling you what to do. But you need to make a name for yourself, not let other Moroi do it."

"You might be right, but it's her DAD. I really like this girl; I want to make a good impression. I don't care that she is a Dhampir and I am a Moroi. I like her and I know this is a lot for a sixteen year old like I am, I want a life with her, a family." I wasn't exactly shocked, by what he was saying. It was surprising though and different. I chuckled.

"You have more figured out than I do."

"You haven't thought about your future?"

"I love Nicole, I do. I am older, I'll probably die faster than she will-"

"Dude have you met yourself? You're just as good as your parents."

"They've live at the Palace most of their lives. Created enemies. Those enemies may come after me, for that. Anyways, I wouldn't be able to give her a family. She deserves a family. "

"You may never know. Your parents had you didn't they?"

"They still don't know how that happened. I am sure they do not want to find out."

"Your mind is your greatest enemy." With that, he turned off the lamp and turned over in his bed.

_So how did you like the first chapter? I wanted you to get to know MY main characters before I bring in Mrs. Mead's… So next chapter! Is Adrian's! __ Please review!_


	3. Adrian

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy. **_

Adrian

"So the plan is set." Christian said.

"So, exactly what is the plan again?" I ask I couldn't believe their plan. It was stupid and, well plain stupid.

"We've been over this." Rose said, probably equally as annoyed as I was.

"Can't we just go? Do we have to plan to hide Lissa and Christian until were in Siberia?" You see, since Lissa became Queen. Most Moroi weren't happy about it, and especially when she married Christian. We have to hide her, most of the time when she leaves the Palace. Extra guardians, extra protection, extra everything.

"Yes. We can't bring 30 guardians to Siberia. People will notice."

"Why can't we just leave them, when we get on the plane?"

"Someone may find out."

"You guys are making a big deal out of nothing." I get up and leave the meeting room. I don't care if she is the queen; it has been fifth teen years since any sort of attack on Lissa and her family. I think she can last three weeks without any extra guardians. And hiding to get away, is an all new low.

I headed to my house. My father died shortly after Jailbait did, which was a terrible time for me, and her family. I still feel the emptiness from her, it wasn't that odd for a spirit user to still mourn for their shadow kissed person simply because they were part of you and you were a part of them. This was before he found out about Sydney and I, if he found out I dated or even loved her in any way, I would've been cut from the family's money.

Even all those times, he threatens to take away my money he kept it. He had multipliable bank accounts, with thousands of dollars in it. I took it over. I moved out of my parents' house, and got a place for Sydney and me when we moved here. Her people wanted to take her and 'reeducate' her. My people looked down append it, but didn't want to torture her back into what they believed in. Most people turned their backs on me, and my mother. Calling me mainly a disgrace for who I happened to fall into love with. Lissa had enough of it, and called Dimitri and Rose to be my guardians until this feud was over.

Sydney now works for us as a in between for our worlds. Whenever the Alchemist needs to be called in, she is to go for us. I guess the guardians thought that would be best, someone who understood their way of thinking. Every time that happens she has at least three guardians with her at all times, until she is 'safe' from them. The feud had ended shortly after they realized how helpful she could've been. We live pretty much in peace, once they got to know her some.

Now I am an artist; Ever since I finished my art class and got a degree in saying I actually completed it, I sell my stuff to the human world. I have a place outside of the Palace where I keep my unsold and not going to sell Paintings. People come and see it, make a bid and that's how I make most of my money. Sydney and I live in a descent house, five bedrooms, three and a half baths, and a fairly large living room/kitchen. We had this house built just for us, when we couldn't find a house for us on the Palace grounds, which didn't cost anything they were adding houses anyways. We bought one before they even had a chance to begin and we told them what we wanted.

"Babe you home?!" I yell when I entered the house. I walked into the kitchen and she was cooking. She likes me to eat what she fixes because apparently the café food at the courts weren't healthy enough.

"Hey, how was the meeting?" Only Rose, Christian, Dimitri and I know about this plan mainly because Lissa was at the schools having the yearly winter thing, I don't really care about it. But it was killing me not to tell Sydney.

"It was about Siberia." I sat at the bar side of the counter as she cooked in front of me.

"Still taking all the kids?"

"Yes."

"It'll be a nice change of pace than staying at the courts." She handed me a cup of water, as she mixed whatever she just through into whatever she was cooking. I never find out what she is cooking until I ate some of it.

"I guess, but there is nothing wrong with being at the palace. This is their home. Are you packed?"

"Yeah, I even packed some of your bag. Just go through it add things, take away things, and just make sure you look through it." I nod and drink some of the water. I really never truly understood why she would also cook healthy foods, but then hardly eat it. I know once she told me it was because her father said why she doesn't look like the Moroi women. I just don't that its true, looking like us or looking healthy for a human is beautiful to me.

"Sophie e-mails a couple of days ago." She looked up at me, wanting to talk seriously.

"What did she say?"

"She wants you to actually have a talk with Dylan."

"Me? Not us?"

"Well, both of us. She's mainly asking you. She knows about you powers, and she wants to know will you meet him without freaking him out."

"I don't freak people out."

"Adrian." She placed her hands on mine. Then she shook her head. "You see what people feel, that can freak most out."

"Fine, but If I think of anything that is weird with the boy. She can date him all she wants, but I am not talking to him any further."

"Dylan doesn't seem like a bad boy. Rose says he is actually really polite." She got plates out of the cabinets and started adding food to the plates. It looked like some sort of spagitti, mixed with vegetables and chicken. It didn't look right, looks like she was trying to poison us.

"What is it?"

"Stuff that seemed like a good idea at the moment. Now not so much." I smile and shook my head, then looked at her. She looked completely discussed by the food.

"Do you rather eat in the Courts café?"

"Please." She left the plates on the counter; I made sure I had my wallet. We proceed to walk hand in hand to the café. We passed some flowers and the few statues when she stopped to stare at one.

"What is it?" The statue of a man, surrounded by white lilies.

"St. Callad, Human saint. Always known to tell the truth." I had no idea what had gotten into her, we would always pass his statue and she wouldn't stop and talk about or show any knowledge about him.

"I don't get it."

"After we got married, my mother got a hold of me." I didn't really care if she had contact with her family, what I do care about is if she went to go see them without having guardians to protect her.

"You talked to your mother, big deal."

"She wants to meet the man I married, and her grandchild. Once a month she'll call asking to meet up with me."

"Do you do it?"

"No, but I feel like I've been lying to you because I didn't tell you when she called."

"Look, if she wants to meet our family. I am okay with that, but I am not sure that is the safe thing to do." I started walking off, but she wouldn't move.

"She called me this morning, after you left for the meeting," she looked up at me. She tried to smile but it fell. "She's dying, Adrian. Diagnosed with a tumor in the brain, and is not going to do anything about it. She is just going to let natural take its course. I want to spend as much time with her as possible."

"I still do not think it's a good idea for us to go see her. What if we video chatted with her?" She smiled and took my hand, leaning her head on my arm as we walked. We talked about anything else but her mother, I get why she is so close to her mother but it is just not safe. Not with her dad thinking how evil I am. She ended up getting a salad, I took the chance to get the greases thing here; a double stacked hamburger with fries.

We started walking back to our house. It was very peaceful, really no body was out here, and even if they were it were couples. Well 'couples' it's was mainly Moroi and a dhampir wanting to get together to try and make another dhampir. None of them really love each other; it's more like a booty call. My stuff my hands in my pockets, and Sydney stuck on of her arm between my side and my arm, like a loop, then held on so we walked like that all the way back home.

"I cooked you do dishes." She said, once we walked inside the door. I placed my wallet on the table next to the door.

"But we didn't eat it. So, your mistake you do it."

"Hey. That has always been the rules. I cook then you do the dishes."

"When we actually EAT the food. Then yeah that is the rules." We were known in the kitchen, and staring down at the dishes.

"Rock, paper, scissors." She said, sticking her hand out.

"You're going to let a chance game decide who does the dishes?" She nods, as she waits for me to do the same.

"Fine. Rock…Paper….Scissors." I left my hand as a rock, while she changed hers into paper. I sighed and rolled up my sleeves.

"See. Even the chance game knew it was your turn." She walked off to watch TV, while leaving me to do the cleaning. After I was done, I dried my hands off, and walked over to Sydney. It was just about time to sleep, so we could meet up with Lissa at St. Vlad.s.

"We need sleep so; we can meet everyone at the Jet in the early morning." We were leaving about eight in the morning, so we could be there when Lissa shows up.

"Fine." We proceed up the stairs to our room. I threw off my clothes and laid in bed, as Sydney has a ritual on getting ready for bed. Change clothes, brush her teeth, then her hair, and then make sure everything is neat and clean before she could get in bed. It was probably about thirty minutes later before she was able to lay in bed and sleep.

The alarm went off an hour before we were supposed to meet up with the guys. I woke up Sydney then went to take a shower, while she made sure we had everything packed for the trip. I didn't go with Lissa on these school trips, mainly because I got tired of the whole visiting the schools thing. It wasn't the thing anymore.

Shortly Sydney and I traded places. I got dress and presentable, while bringing the bags downstairs. I waited for her down stairs, while grabbing us something to eat. We didn't have many bags; we had three, one for each then we shared the third one. At least I think this time we did, I didn't pay attention to who's was who's.

Sydney soon showed up, and carried one of the bags. Everyone but Christian was at the jet. We stood waiting for him, until he finally showed up like he slept walked here.

"What happened to you?" Sydney asked, smiling. He didn't only look like he spelt walked here, his hair was all over the place, he didn't look like the was part ruler of the Moroi world.

"I just woke up okay? Plus some guardians asked where I was going."

"What did you tell them?" We walked on to the jet; this jet was smaller than the one we're usually as Lissa has the bigger one. This jet probably fit no more than ten people, Lissa's fit up to at least thirty.

"Told them we're meeting Lissa at St. Vlad.s. They stayed were they were, so we're good."

The jest takes off, no one really talk to each other, and really we all sat back and enjoyed the ride. I knew that Sydney was still worked up about her mother; by the way she kept staring at her phone. I didn't want to bring it up in front of everyone so I just left it.

About five hours later, an hour before Lissa was scheduled to get here. Rose didn't want us leaving the area of the Jet because the fact we were supposed to be with Lissa. She let Dimitri go because this is the time he usually shows up and does whatever it is that he does. Rose did let Sydney and I go to the guest building, to get situated. Christian was to stay with Rose, the whole time we had to wait.

She escorted us to the building, only leaving when we were in the room okay. She told us not to leave, until she comes gets us. They're going through a lot to make sure it looks like we were with Lissa the entire time. Well at least to the people who live at the school. When we finally got a little comfortable I asked one of the Guardians on duty to find Sophie and bring to our room, without telling anyone we're here.

Sydney knew nothing about what I had asked, because she had fallen asleep on the bed. So while the Guardian was looking for Sophie and she was sleeping I decided to get my laptop out and start setting up the video chat, I also took her phone and called her mother. Even when it was late at night, her mother would answer the phone right? I hoped she would and not anyone else.

"Hello?" The voice sounded wide awake and female.

"Yes, can I speak to," I completely forgot Sydney's maiden name. "Can I speak to Mrs. Sage?"

"This is she." I breathed a sigh of relief. Sydney told me she had two sisters, but what she hasn't told me if they both moved out of the house.

"I am calling on concern, that a Sydney Sage really wants you to meet her family."

"I want to meet them."

"Well, her husband thinks it's a bad idea to meet person to person. What he wants to do a video chat with you and meet him."

"When would this be?" Her voice didn't change. I was spectacle about it, but if this is really what her mother sounded like then okay.

"Right now. He asks that you do it now as this is the only time he and the family have before Sydney and he have to go back to work." I have no idea why I was not telling her that I am the husband, but it seemed to be working.

"Oh? What video chat name are they going to be using?"

"The website is and the name is Ivashkov21."

"Okay, can you tell him to give me a couple minutes, to do everything?"

"Sure thing, Ma'am." She hanged up the phone and I was left to wait. The whole conversation probably took five to ten minutes, Sophie showed up five minutes after.

"Dad?"

"Shhhhh. Come here." Once she sat down a ding came from my laptop, letting me know that I have a request.

"Wake your mother." As she woke up Sydney, I accepted and waited for the video fee to show up. By time Sydney was wake, the fee was up and a woman showed on the monitor. She had blonde hair just like her mother, and actually did look like she was fixing to die.

"Mom?" Sydney said, when she saw the woman.

"Sydney!" She whisper yelled, she had a really big smile on her face.

"Hi, mom. How are you?"

"I am doing pretty good right about now. I get to see my daughter for the first time in a long time."

"Where's dad?"

"He is at work." Sydney nods and sits down next to me. I could see her aura get a little brighter, as well.

"So, mom this is Adrian, my husband and this is Sophie, our daughter." I put my hand up to say hello, as Sophie actually does say hello.

"Hello Adrian. Hello Sophie, you're very beautiful."

"Thank you." Sophie said softly. I had my hands down in my lap, between my legs. I have no idea why I was nervous, because she doesn't know where we were. And there was no possible way that an army of Alchemist is going to come and get Sydney then leave.

"So you we're the guy that took my baby away from me?" Her mother smiled as she said that, meaning she wasn't all that mad.

"The one and only." I slightly smiled, and collapse my hands together.

"So, Sophie tell me a little about yourself." Sydney and I turned towards her, and she looked down at us not sure what to say. She was standing behind us, basically being there.

"Uh.. Well I am 16. I have a boyfriend named, Dylan. I like reading, working out, and hanging with my friends and family."

"So I take it you go to a public school?"

"Uh… Not exactly." Sydney said, looking down at her hands. "She goes to a school especially for Adrian's and Sophie's kind." Her mother simply smiled, and nods.

"Well, I don't think she would go to a regular school for kids. She has a duty to her people. The best education she can get is from them." Something about her mother seemed so understanding, and nice. From what I can collect total opposite from her husband.

"Adrian, tell me about yourself. How exactly did you get her to go for you?" I was looking down as did a small laugh and looked back up at her.

"Uh. In this world, I am a Royal. My family is the highest of Royals, not including the Queen and King. Who are great friends with us and their daughter is a great friend of Sophie. As in how I got Sydney to go for me? I have no idea. I know I made the first move, and it freaked her out, but over time it just clicked." I shrug and moved my hands on my knees. I don't know how much she knows about the Moroi world, but seeming who her daughter is, she had to know what Sydney and her father did for living.

"Sounds romantic." We all sat in awkward silence, before Sydney's mom asked a strange question.

"How many girls have you been with before my daughter?"

"MOM!" I stare at her mother, I had a feeling Sydney's face was red.

"What? I want to know if he fooled around. Get to know his personality." I looked at Sydney, then I thought about it. It really wasn't a usual thing for a mother to ask. But what was strange about it, was that she just met me. It could've waited until the second or third time we talked. I decided to answer her question.

"Well, to be honest I was known to be a player, because a lot of the women/ girls liked me, I would flirt but I nevered slept with any of the girls. I dated only one woman before your daughter, I didn't even sleep with her either. We broke up and I met Sydney maybe a few months after that." That seemed to be the correct answer because her mother smiled really hugged it was creepy.

"Well, I'll let you get back to work Adrian and Sydney. Nice meeting you Sophie and Adrian." We all nod and signed off. Sydney turned and smiled at me.

"Do you really just do what I think you just did?"

"Yes."

"Thank you." She then kissed me, and placed her hand on my leg.

"Okay, but you guys get in the mood. Ima leave." Sophie then pointed at the door, and slowly walked to the door.

_**-End of Chapter-**_

_Yeah, I think this chapter was a little weird but I had to put SOMETHING out. So, REVIEW REVIEW! PLEASE. Pretty Please?!_


	4. They're Coming

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Academy**_

They're coming

I was up way before anybody. I took a shower, brushed my teeth and walked back to my room. Dylan was passed out, his body all over the place. His right arm above his head while the left was on his chest; His left leg was on the bed bent while his right had fallen on the floor. I have no idea if he was comfortable, or even how he slept like that but I let him. I went to the dresser and put on boxers and put the towel around my neck to let my hair drip on it.

I went to the closet, picking out jeans and a grey t-shirt, then boots. I went over to wake up Dylan, it was way past 7. If we wanted to be on time for breakfast and be able to hang before we cleaned, we needed to have the girls woken up. We're allowed to be in the dorms at 7:30. It was also a new rule added. If there were guys in the rec room of the girls they are sent to the rooms while an attack on the school the adults will fight, until they need us.

"Man, you need to learn when to sleep in once in a while." Dylan mumbled, rolling off the bed. Before he even hit the floor he stood up. Grabbing his towel on the back of the door, I did some homework while I waited for him. I think he is about the only guy that takes a short shower, and get dress faster than mankind. Within thirty minutes he was dressed and ready to wake the girls.

"Don't you ever sleep in?"

"Don't you ever wake up early?"

"Touché."

"But seriously it's a Saturday. Sleep in while you can."

"That's exactly why, I can't. I need to be able to be up early and alert."

"Dude you're still a kid, live!"

"I can't. I need to be able to make adult decisions. By time I leave St. Vlad.s"

"Dude…" He sighed and shakes his head.

We reached the girls dorm. I walked straight up to Nicole and Alexis room, Dylan was behind me and walked over to Sophie and Jessica room. Like clockwork work we knock on the door. Waited. Knocked again. Waited. Banged. Door opens.

"Wake up. Time to eat breakfast." I didn't see who answered the door until it was fully open. Alexis, looked very angry.

"You seriously need to stop waking us up this early in the morning." She already had her towel and bag of shower things in her hand. She walked out the door. I walked in, Nicole still asleep. I sat on her bed, gently shaking her.

"Babe, come on. I know you heard me knocking. Get up. Today we hang out before my parents get here. Come on." I kissed her cheek. She moaned, and turned over more. I moved the blanket out of her face and leaned into her ear.

"The faster you get up, the faster we can make out." I saw her smile, I got off the bed and waited at the door.

"You're such a tease." She got off the bed and went to the closet. Grabbing her towel and shampoo.

"Meet me at breakfast." She pecked me on the lips. Her long colored blonde hair look ratted from the back, I couldn't help but laugh. I shut their door and met Dylan down stairs.

"Your girlfriend is harder to wake up than mine. Why is that?"

"My girlfriend likes the way I wake her up." I winked and his face scrunched up, confused. We walked to breakfast.

"Exactly how do you wake Sophie up?"

"I shake her and tell her to wake up. How do you?"

"I tell her what we have planned for the day, kiss her cheek, she usually turns over and I whisper in her ear that the faster she wakes she faster we can make out. But it's different for every couple." This type of conversation wasn't unusual amongst us. Dylan had become like a brother to me, and if he asked something I don't want to lie, but I don't actually want to keep it a secret if it could possibly help him.

"You really love her then. Because that was actually something most girls would like to wake up to."

"You may never know. Sophie may like the way you wake her up, in some weird way." We made it to the café and went to the line. I grabbed the eggs, bisket, gravy, sausage, couple of fruit, and orange juice. Then walked over to our table. Dylan grabbed a bisket, gravy, sausage, and milk. He likes eating really healthy, for reason I have no idea. We waited for the girls.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" Dylan questioned.

"Eat small amounts of food. But not even drink regularly." Dylan drinks probably twice a week, if that. I'm worried that it's hurting more than helping. But if he wants to live truly in the human world he needs to learn to go long or small as possible without blood.

"I'm going to live in the human world, at some point in time. I need to learn how to make shift what I'll have then."

"But that's not going to be until some time."

"Sounds like someone you know?"

"I am training."

"Technically so am I."

The girls show up, Nicole kissed my cheek and Sophie kissed Dylan. Alexis was standing just watching us.

"Thanks for the morning wake up." Nicole whispered in my ear. The girls then to get breakfast. Nicole was wearing a kakis, blue tank top, with a black... blouse? Over it. I know she'll possibly change clothes when my parents get here. She has this thing as trying to please them; I don't know where it came from. They haven't given any reason for them to dislike her… that I know of. But I know my parents they wouldn't, could they? Crap.

We finally made it to the cabin, and hanged for about 2 hours, then started cleaning. I wanted to leave the cabin early so we wouldn't get caught. Just as I was shutting and locking the door, my dad showed up. I was about his height and build, but nowhere near his skill level.

"DAD!"

"Mason, what are you doing?"

"Uh. Just," He went past me to look into the cabin. Seeing nothing he gave me a questionable look.

"You cleaned it?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"We hang out here. And it had got a little messy." I couldn't find any of the group that was weird.

"Don't tell you mother."

"Why?"

"You said we. That means your friends were in our make shift house. She trusted you to WATCH it, not hang. "

"Dad she knows all of them-"

"Rules, son, Rules." I nod, and moved away from the door to let him walk in. Dad was early, and I wondered if mom was here.

"Where is mom?"

"I always come early, to clean up the place. Before your mother gets here. But seeing as you did, maybe we could spend time. Walk around campus, talk." It is usually never good when dad wants to talk. But each time he does, I learn something new about my parents.

"Sure." I helped him bring in the bags, there was only four. I knew two of the four was mothers, just by the looks of the bags. Mom's has the year mom and dad met, while dad is blank. All I know about when my parents met each other was that dad was her teacher, as far as going when they met and their relationship. Dad has told me about when he was young, and mom has told me things up until she met dad anything after she hasn't told me.

"Okay, let's walk." Dad said motioning towards the door. He shut and locked it, while I waited at the little pond that has frozen over. We walked further away from the dorms; I thought we were heading there. Maybe he wants to seriously talk about something.

"I've talk to your mother about telling you this already. She thought you are old enough to know."

"I am actually nervous, if mom has authorized this talk." He chuckled.

"So, mom and I just left that cabin when she saw Mason. She has been seeing him because at this time she was Shadowed Kiss. Meaning she could basically see the dead, because she once died herself. Anyways she finally knew what he was tiring to tell her. Which was there was a breach in the lining of the barrier, caused by excessive use of Moroi powers being used around it. Strigoi attacked your mother and me, I told her to run. She got help, brutal fight. Some of the kids were taken. Our side was wounded badly; we used some of the Novices.

"Your mother and I were the last ones fighting. Our group was able to get out, but there was one last strike against us. I fought, your mother did too. But this one, strigoi got a hold of me, his name was Nate. Your grandmother, made your mother run. Leaving me, I knew it was the right thing to do. She would've died, or turned. Your mother and I made this agreement, in our minds. If either of us were turned, we would go after them and put them out of their misery. I was turned." He stopped at a closed gate, he unlocked. We walked some more, before he stopped in front of a cave.

"Is this where?"

"Yes."

"How did you change back?" I couldn't wrap my mind around what he was telling me. He was standing in front of me; no red ring around his eyes nor was he super pale. But I know my father never lies, so what he says has to be true.

"Your mother didn't give up. She dropped out of school, went to go fine me. Learned a lot about spirit, learned how to possibly save me. It did. Now I am here."

"How did you get back into the Moroi world with people trusting you?"

"I helped find the real killer of our past queen. Everyone thought it was your mother; I help her escape the jail. And we were on the run, until we helped the Queen become queen, and when we figured out who actually killed our old Queen."

"Must been something." He chuckled again and patted my back.

"Roller coaster. But I soon found my way back to your mother. The Moroi world trusts me again, and I have a son who is fixing to be a guardian himself." He smiled at me and ruffled my hair. I have no idea why he does that, but he is going to have to learn to stop. I wasn't going to question anything about him being a strigoi. But I did have one that I wanted and needed to know.

"Did you kill anybody, while being a strigoi?" He sighed.

"Yes and hurt the ones I loved." He turned around and started walking back to the school. We didn't say a word until he reached the gym. I have no idea why he is just now telling me things about themselves after they met. He opened the doors and led me to a closet door.

"Your mother and I had many talks, fights, and understandings in here."

"That's discussing." He laughed and shook his head.

"No. Not here, I wouldn't give into my heart here. Your mother was going thru some changes in her life. Killing two strigoi before she even was a full guardian, being shadowed kiss and not knowing what will become of her, even this woman who was interested in me. Your mother had an adult mine for a young woman, many worries she shouldn't be dealing with so young. But she is strong."

"So you are telling me, that not only you were her teacher. But basically her boyfriend already?" It took him a while to answer me. I stood waiting for an answer that may never come. He sat down and looked around the room.

"Let's go finish walking." He suddenly said, and walked fast out of the closet. I had to run to catch up with him. I knew then, that surely I wasn't going to get an answer, so I left it. He couldn't openly admit that while she was his student that they were together. No matter how much he thought at the time she and he were strictly a teacher-student relationship, they were together.

"Your mother was a fighter. Fought everything, she believed what she believed and went for it. No matter if people were against her. The shadow kiss she had in her, complicated things, but she and I fought that." He more or less laughed to himself.

"She actually still studies about being shadow kiss, and other Moroi who had spirit. Then the dhampirs or other Moroi who they save. Even though she herself is not any more, it helps. "

"I am not sure why every time you visit you revels something about you or mom."

"It gives us something to fight for." We reached the dorms and walked me up to my room. Dylan was there, and I guess he only saw me at the moment.

"Dude, where'd you disappear to? Nicole is freaking out. Who is… oh? Hi, sir." He looked slightly confused, and stood up when dad entered the room. He always says 'sir' and stands up any time he enters a room. I guess its respect for him, or he is just plainly weird.

"Hello, Dylan." He slightly nods and stands at the door.

"When did you get here sir?"

"When Mason was locking up."

"That was over an hour ago, The Queen and King has already showed. Mason missed the meeting."

"The Queen was aware that I had Mason, and that he'll be missing the entrance. After the entrance, I had to make sure I was with Mason. The Queen and the parents want to talk to you, not just you. I mean the friend group." Dad said the last part when it looked like Dylan was fixing to freak.

"They want to talk to all of us?" I questioned, all of us knew them pretty well; me seeing as I am going, probably, to protect her daughter. Nicole, Sophie, and Dylan because they are our friends. It wasn't unusual that we talk to the Queen.

"Yes and the parents. And seeing as Dylan is under the eye of your mother and I he comes too. Let's go get the girls." Alexis wouldn't be with her mother and father until later tonight, so we had to find them before that time came. We left the room, and followed my dad to the girls' dorms. Then he followed us to their room. When he found out the rule change, he wasn't really happy about it. But he understood why that rule had become in place.

Sophie was in Alexis and Nicole's room, made it much easier. They didn't get a chance to grill me, because dad stepped forward. "The King and Queen wants to see you group of kids. Follow me." They hurry up behind him, then Dylan and me behind them. Now my dad doesn't look much older than me, but in fact he is in his 30s. The girls do not care; I swear that most women and girls have a crush on him. I'll admit I can see why, but it's my dad that creeps me out. And my father is faithful, so they need to stop with the crush on an older man.

We reached the meeting room; all of our parents were sitting at the table. Dad went to go sit next to mom, and there were no more chairs so that left us standing. The king and Queen was on the opposite end from where we were, mom and dad on her right, Sophie parents on her left then next to them were Nicole's. They looked at each of us like we were in trouble.

"We've called you here to have a talk." The Queen said smiling.

"Lissa, let me." The queen then motioned my mother to talk, she stood up and walked to us.

"Mason's father is from Siberia. Sydney and I've been there, it is very beautiful place to be. We've wanted to take you some place, away from the Palace for Mid-semester break. We want to take you there, meet people. Learn a few things that you cannot learn with being in a school for your whole lives." She stopped and looked at everyone.

"We are all going, we're not taking any guardians, we'll meet two there. They'll help us get around. Only until we reach our place of stay. The house is full of women dhampirs, fully equipped to help us fight if we need too."

"So they're blood whores?" Sophie said. My mother looked at her and then looked at her father. Sophie looked at her dad, which seemed like he was telling her something, but that is not possible that's not any part of his powers.

"I'm sorry. A women dhampir house, which are not really guardians but trained. I assumed, I shouldn't have." Did he just use compulsion on her?

"While I was in Siberia, I lived with them. I haven't seen them since I left. Plus, Lissa and Adrian can benefit from going. There is a Spirit user and shadow kiss in the area. Everyone else is going because they can, and we offered to take you."

"So, instead of Christmas at the Palace. It's Christmas in Siberia?" Dylan questioned. They all nod.

"I don't get it, why Siberia?" Alexis asks.

"You can learn things. Dimitri has family there; I hope my father will be there. Mason will meet his aunts, cousins, grandparents. It'll be a wonderful experience for him." I hate that my parents think what would be better for me. I've never wondered about my extended family. My family has always been my mom, dad, Adrian, Sydney, Eddie, Emily, the King and Queen, Alexis, Nicole, Sophie, and Dylan. That's a prefect family for me. I am perfectly fine with that, seeing people that I'll only see for a couple of days then leave again wouldn't help.

"So then, why not just take me, Adrian, the Queen, and then dad?"

"All of us grown into a family. Every family member is allowed to meet the real family. I've meet Christian's aunt, Lissa's parents and brother, Adrian's parents, Dimitri's family. It's good to know everyone's family. Especially when you're blood related." This coming from my mom. She has never mentioned about her parents, especially her mother. She is the last person who needs to be talking.

"We are leaving Monday. We've already talked to all your teachers and got the weeks work." Adrian stepped up, standing next to my mom. He smiled at her. That gives us tonight and tomorrow to pack.

"Why so soon?" Nicole asked.

"Mid-Semester break is only two weeks. Not enough time to have a decent look around Siberia and meet who we need to." Sydney said.

"Go get packing, we're leaving first thing Monday morning." Emily said, smiling and motioning us to leave. We did, all of us not sure what to take about what we just heard was true or not.


	5. Regretting

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy.**

Regretting

It was time for the Queens ceremony; it has changed over the years but not by much. The twelve representing their families stand in the aisle during the walk to the podium. What changed was where the kids stand, and how the atmosphere was like. Now the kids can stand wherever, the feeling of the air round everyone seemed up beat and gentle. WAY different from my aunt, she demanded the attention and the power. She wanted people to fear in most cases.

Lissa didn't want that she wanted people to see her as their equal, but one to look for information to. Dhampirs, Morois, and Royals all equal slowly it has come to agree. The Morois that do agree have re-gone to school for self-defense in powers and hand to hand combat. The kids aren't allowed to have that in the schools, though most parents do not agree to send the children on that can have a chance to have children. In order to do this they have a couple of rules; 1) The adults have to have at least one child, 2) over the age of 25, and 3) willing to go into battle if needed. Lissa and Christian wanted the classes to be available in the schools for Moroi children but the board wouldn't have that and they made those rules.

I was standing where Sydney and I usually are when it is time for the speech she gives. Lissa tries to change the speech each year as it gets boring to hear and say the same thing every year. Our spots were near the stage, along with Rose and Alexis. The music begins as two school guardians walk in first, Lissa waited a while before walking her turn, then when she hit the middle of the walk way, two more school guardians walked in. When she reached the podium, everyone was to remain standing until Christian made the final walk.

They do not walk together because the way the old system works. Unforchantly Lissa was not able to change that. The board wanted to stick to the old ways; the one elected King or Queen was to walk first because they were the important one. If they happened to be married the spouse became second. I think that is why most Queens or Kings remained unmarried, but Lissa and Christian didn't want that; they were the fourth couple to get married while one of them was in office.

When Christian reached the podium himself, everyone sat down. Standing beside and slightly behind her. Lissa smiled, looking down at the little note cards provide.

"Hello students, teachers, and visitors of St. Vladimir's. It is nice seeing you again. We all know why Christian and I visit all the schools. To welcome the going to be new guardians and Moroi into our world. As you continue throughout the school year you will learn the most important things to keep you alive as you protect the people and provide for your family. Most of you will learn what you want in life during this time. The most important thing you can ever decide is to decide if this is what your heart wants or your mind.

"You see I wouldn't be standing here as your Queen if I didn't follow my mind. I wouldn't be standing here with the King if I didn't follow my heart. If you listen close enough your life will be set, the way you want it. Please follow it." She then stepped back from the podium, and started walking out the doors. These little speeches she gives usually only last about ten minutes, and thirty minutes total for the whole ceremony.

After Lissa and Christian leave, in order other people do; Guardians first, Novices next, Morois, then Royals. It probably should be the other way around; but the Novices and Guardians are supposed to wait outside the door and wait for everyone to leave. It is weird because it use to be we all leave together after the Queen and King leave. I have no idea what changed as I never asked or bother to. I know shortly after Lissa became queen, they said they changed some of the order of when people leave, and how they entered, but not how the Queen walks into the room.

I think what Lissa, Christian, Rose, Dimitri, me, and many other believed in made them changed. Maybe it was to remind people in weird ways that what the order use to be, some people still thinks that that way still should be, so most people understand how this is done and why. After I walk out, Sydney and I started heading to the meeting where they tell the kids about the Siberia trip. I know Rose and already talked to the kids teachers, about leaving to the Palace early and they needed their homework.

Dimitri walked in with the kids; he takes a seat next to Rose as the kids were left to stand. Lissa was fixing to tell them about the plans but Rose took over. It was more out of she knows more about Siberia than everyone but Sydney and Dimitri. Dimitri was against doing this whole thing, I have no idea why, but I am sure it was about what he had done to Rose there. When Sophie mentioned about blood whores, Rose looked at me expecting me to do something. Really all I did was staring at her, I knew she would get what she did wrong and apologize. I decided to help out about talking to the kids, but just to end everything.

"We are leaving Monday. We've already talked to all your teachers and got the weeks work" I went to stand next to Rose, because I felt like I needed to stand by her. Soon after the kids have left, the adults remained in the room.

"Are we sure we want to take the kids?" Emily questioned, it wasn't that she didn't think this wasn't a good idea it was that it is a risky idea.

"We kind of have to now." Eddie said under this breath. I turned to him, it was like they were regretting this and after all the trouble they've created and thought it out, I thought the second guessing was ridiculous.

"It can't be that bad, Rose survived it." I pointed out, and I do not think they liked that I did. All their faces were full of concern and then relief, so I was off the hook.

"Yes, but even if Rose survived it. Can our kids? Yeah we're going to be with them most of the time, or Dimitri's family would. But will they get so caught up in the beauty they do not pay attention with what the world around them is doing?" Sydney questioned, looking around the table.

"That is a question we'll never find out if we do not take them." Eddie said, standing up and walking to this map. He pulled down one of the three, which happened to be of Europe.

"Less strigoi seem to be in Siberia than ever. They should at least be safe from that, any other threats they could handle." He circled Siberia and let go of the map as it spun back up. He walked back to the table and pressed his hand on it.

"You guys are questioning things, you should've thought of before we told them, they're going. You make a huge deal, of trying to make sure everything is perfect. But you forgot to question is you truly thought this was safe for your children. We have to learn to trust them; two of them are leaving this year to the real world. The rest of them is leaving the year after that, we have to learn to trust them in some point in time before that happens or we will always wonder if they'll get themselves killed." After some time of re-going over everything we left to all do our own things. I decided to walk around the old campus. We wanted to leave the kids to think about things, so I made sure I was out of the way. It was not hard to stay out of the way anyways; it was more of trying to find something to do.

I decided to go to the church, though I am not very religious. It just pulled me to it; I walked in the front doors. No one was in the precinct; low lighting and cold air hit my face. I sat in the back staring straight in front of me. I know Sydney was religious, I never understood why though. Having blind faith in someone who lived long ago, believing he had the power to control what happens in your life. Believe me, if that was true I wouldn't have this damn spirit powers I have and Sydney wouldn't need to have guardians with her every time she talks to her kind. My daughter wouldn't be known as the weird child born from the old ways.

None of that would have happened and would be true. But everything happens for a reason, I was happy with my life. The way I came to know Sydney I wouldn't change that for the world. Even with everything that happens I wouldn't change that; probably would change my powers, but I can't so I am pretty happy with my life. Even if I cannot understand her blind faith; I can believe that someone has a plan for people.

The more that I sat there, the more my thoughts have took over my mind. It wasn't that I regretted most of the things I probably would've changed. Like going out with Rose when I knew she was still on Dimitri, or helping her escape where she was reunited with Dimitri, especially the way I act when she said it was over. I would've gone after her, I would've helped her through the pain, I would've not gone after her for my guilty pleasure but I seriously would've thought that I could've made it work.

But then I wouldn't have seen Sydney all those years ago. Yes at first thought she wouldn't be the first person to pop into my head with dating. But when Jill almost died and I had to go with her, so being apart wouldn't help any because we were connected. Also being away from all the chaos at the Palace was draining. Getting to know her and just realizing there was more that met the eye with her. I found myself wanting to be with her and figure her out, understand why she does what she does.

She was with me when Jailbait was attacked. Rather, when I found out. I knew before Rose called Sydney to tell her, I felt it. The pain was interesting to feel, but Sydney helped me through it. It was like that feeling you get when something is wrong or that something was about to happen, but four times worst because mix that with someone you really care about, then you find out they have died and you don't know what to do with your life.

I've never really got over her death, because it freaking Jailbait. Yeah it was weird that she knew every little detail about me that happened. It was like we were brother and sister; I cared for her maybe as much as I cared for Sydney. If I was with her when she was attacked and was able to heal her, maybe my future would've been different. But exactly how much of a difference?

I hear the doors open and I look to see who it is. It was Rose; she saw me and sat next to me.

"I didn't know you were religious." She said, as she looked ahead of her.

"Same here." We both stared ahead; I was staring at the huge cross that hovered just behind the priest's chair. It took a while before either one of us spoke.

"Do you ever think what would've happened if we stayed together?" I turned to look at Rose, searching her face. Since she was facing forward I couldn't really tell anything from the side.

"Sometimes, but I am not going to question everything. I'll just make myself go even crazier."

"Sometimes, I wonder what if I never found a way to save Dimitri. Would I be in jail right now? Would I be the first in command in combat? Would Mason be born? Even more; Would Jill have died?" She turned to look at me, even when we broke up something always brought us back together. Like Dimitri was to be with her, and I was just the guy who she could have fun with, a friend that could get her mind out of what was wrong in that point in time. I decided to answer.

"No, because we would've still found out that Christian's aunt killed the Queen. Yes, because you are just that good. Maybe, but Mason would be my child instead of Dimitri's if we did stay together. Probably, because the people against Lissa would've found some way to get to Jill and kill her." We look at each other for a while, before she looked ahead again.

"Sometimes, I wonder what if I never went to Siberia. Never met my father, or met Dimitri's family, and meeting Sydney. That would've changed both of our lives. You wouldn't have to save Jill, you wouldn't have followed her to California because of it, and most importantly you wouldn't have met Sydney neither of us would. You wouldn't be trying to make sure she is safe all the time, Sophie wouldn't be here, and you wouldn't know the pain from losing a shadow kiss person to you. I would be shadowed kiss, still."

"You're questioning things we have no control over. What if this? What if that? Look, we're all meant to follow some sort of line for our life. Our decisions lead to where and what happens to us; but they all lead to one place. Where we are right now. Why are you questioning things?"

"Maybe I have some regrets."

"Yes, maybe, but people are allowed to have regrets. But I know you; if you didn't do all the stuff you did, you would deeply regret it more than now." I placed my hand on her thigh, Rose turned to me like she wanted to tell me something, but I simply patted her thigh then got up and left the church. It was almost the schools curfew; the sun was slightly rising as it is getting lighter and lighter. I go back to Sydney's and my room; I didn't realize how long I actually stayed in the church.

I walked through the door, and Sydney was on my laptop lying in the bed. She was still in her usual clothing, and had headphones on. I went to sit next to her; I don't think she knows that I am in the room. Because her eyes stayed glued to the monitor, I leaned over to look at it. It was old videos of Sophie when she was a baby. Sydney was holding Sophie pointing to the camera then looking over at her. Sophie would simply see something she was more interested in and try to reach it.

I took the head phones off, and Sydney looked at me. She smiled and went back to watching the video. Sophie was probably no more than two. The camera then went back some, and I came into view and Sydney handed me Sophie and switched places with me. I stood her up, and started making her dance and shake. Sophie's face gleamed with smiles and I am certain with giggles.

"Memories are the greatest things sometimes." Sydney said, as she paused the video.

"Also the cause of some of our pain, regret, and it is your greatest enemy." I look at the screen; Sophie was smiling and I can see myself smiling just as big in the back ground. My hands were on each side of her waist to make sure she doesn't fall. My legs made a tiny circle around her, her tiny feet with a bunch of toys were in it. She was old enough to start walking, but I remember she still hadn't got the hang of walk on her own. That's why I was holding on to her, even if she fell she would pick herself back up and act like nothing happen. She never cried if she fell or hit her head on something. She was a tough baby girl.

Younger me looked every happy, but behind my bagged eyes you can tell that there was something else there. Sadness, fear, anger, something was there but what? The happiness showed more than anything that had crossed my mind right then. My clothes looked like a new father was to make sure there wasn't an accident on his good clothes. Jeans, a plain t-shirt, and I still had on decent looking brown shoes, any jewelry I had wasn't there but my wedding ring was. The only piece of jewelry I always made sure I had on, even after Sophie was born. I didn't want to risk the possible breakage of it.

"What made you start watching Sophie's baby videos?"

"I wanted to send a copy of them to my mother. See her being raised through video, might help with not being there."

"Or it could make it worst. Are you sending a copy of all the videos of Sophie?" We- mainly Sydney- have basically recorded everything that happened to Sophie. I understood the baby videos, but up until she got to middle school she could've stop but she didn't. We filmed everything from her first night home to her first day at St. Vlad's to her tenth birthday with all her friends. I think the next thing Sydney is probably going to record is Sophie's trails as a senior and the graduation.

"Pretty much, but I think sending them would honestly help some." She looked back at the screen and pressed play. I don't know what I was laughing at in the video, but soon after I kissed Sophie's cheek and stood up with her pulling on my hair. I didn't show that her pulling on my hair hurt, I just smiled and moved her hand away from my head. Sophie showed back up in the video, you can tell that she was still holding as she placed her head on my shoulder and said something into the camera. This led me to kiss Sydney, and then look a Sophie before the video ended.

"I miss baby Sophie." Sydney said, slightly smiling at the screen.

"Hey, I offer to help give Sophie a little brother or sister but you declined. We could've had a baby Andy or a baby Michelle."

"Michelle?" She questioned, turning to look at me.

"Out of everything I said, you got a quick made up name out of it and decided to question it?" I raised my right eyebrow and tried to look like I was questioning her question.

"No, if we were to give her a little something it would've been a boy not a girl."

"So a baby Andrew- Andy?"

"Exactly. I like that name, seems fitting Andrew means Warrior. Plus in the bible Andrew was Peter's brother-"

"Whoa, stop there. I have no idea what you are talking about when you say bible. Plus in the world we live in Andrew sounds like I pretty good name and meaning is fitting."

"Yeah. Sophie would've made a good older sister." She nods and moves the laptop over to the floor.

"We could still make her an older sister, we're still young enough." I slightly smiled, she looked like she was staring at her feet. But I could tell she was trying not to smile, I leaned up and kissed her check.


	6. Author's Note

A 'Guest' wrote: _I am not interested if you are going to split Rose and Dimitri up in this story or kill Dimitri, the way Rose was saying she regrets things, she was acting like she doesn't love Dimitri anymore and wants Adrian. Thats bullshit and it pisses me off that as a loyal Dimitri and Rose fan you would write that in your story. So basically you have strung along loyal Dimitri and Rose readers just so you can have Adrian and Rose get together. That is a shitty and deceiving thing to do and it pisses me off that you have done that. Mason has two loving parents and you have made all that seem like shit. If you were such an Adrian and Rose fan, why didn't you mark your story as that in the first place. I fucking hate Authors like you who pull that crap._

1. I am I RosexDimitri fan and a SydneyxAdrian fan

2. You are reading too much into what Rose has said. Everyone had regrets, she is NOT saying that she wishes to go back to Adrian or that she doesn't Love her life. They were both thinking back to what Lissa has said in her speech about following your heart to decide your life. They BOTH were thinking what if they DIDN'T follow their hearts their lives would be miserable.

Maybe i should've been more clear about that when i wrote the chapter, i am deeply sorry.

3. This is not a Rose and Dimitri or Rose and Adrian or Adrian and Sydney story really. This is about how their 'past' lives are looping into their children's. Especially Mason's live; I have up to chapter 21 written and its mainly about Mason and what happens, given the hints that Adrian and Mason some how go together in SOMETHING- that you're going to have to figure out when you read more.

This note was written to let you know that my intention was NEVER about breaking Rose and Dimitri up- and that it isn't that type of sorry that i've read many times about Rose and Adrian and Dimitri. I hate those types... depending if they were written well, but i still usually dislike those types of stories.

Thank you for reading -J.


	7. Understanding

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy. **

Understanding

It wasn't much of the real day that we were used to. They didn't want us working for the two days they are here. That's also unusual, they stay three days to a week not two. But seeing as we're going to Siberia, I guess they can pass that up. I haven't seen my parents since that talk yesterday. It was almost time for lunch, and Dylan and I were in the girls' room.

Most of the time, I just listened to them talk. They haven't brought up that I was gone for about two hours. They haven't even asked me questions. I knew it wasn't my thing to talk about, but it is a lot to know that your father was once this thing that you're going to have to kill and fight against. I could care less about their inappropriate relationship, they're my parents pretty darn good ones. I have an understanding that most dhampir mothers- family continue their jobs and leave the child at school. All of our parents kept us in the family, not leaving us to school work. They make time for us, even if it is little time, they make the time.

"Mason, Mason!" Alexis was yelling my name.

"Dude, whats up?" Dylan asked. Dylan and Sophie were on Alexis's bed, Nicole and I on her bed, and Alexis was at the desk.

"I was just thinking. It is nothing now."

"It is obviously something if you're zoned out. What did you and your dad talk about yesterday?" Dylan asked, sitting up.

"He just told me about when Strigoi attacked the school. When my mom and him lived here."

"Ooooo, what happened?" Sophie enthused, she sat up a little, anticipating for a good story.

"The cabin they stay in now, they were leaving it when they were attacked. Mom ran for help. A lot of people were captured-"

"My dad was one of them." Nicole said, nodding.

"The guardians were short and many unable to fight. They used senior training Dhampirs. Got all the people captured, back. Mom and Dad were in the same group, also the last group to leave."

"So attacked, lost, attacked again, and won. What is beating you up about it?" I could tell Alexis suspected something, and that's why she is probing me to get more out of me.

"it was something he said, I can't wrap my mind around it. Its not my place to tell you, any of you. But I am okay. So, about Siberia. You happy to be going?"

"YES!" All the girls yell at the same time.

"Whooooa." Dylan said laughing.

"What I don't get is why they are not taking any other guardians with us. You're a princess, your parents rule the Moroi world. You would think they would have more than," It hit me, they are taking Guardians, the best in the business. My parents and then Moroi who know how to fight with their powers. They got what they need. "I am stupid."

"No you're not. Its good to worry about how many are going. But we need to trust our parents with what they think is right." Nicole mentioned.

"Plus when we're in Siberia they said two guardians will be meeting us." Dylan said.

We then went to lunch, forgetting this talk. It wasn't like that it was forbidden to talk about. It was more like we ended the conversation and were done with the topic. Nicole held my hand, the whole time. She has become more 'attached' to me. Like I was going to break up with her, I wasn't. It hasn't even crossed my mind. I'll need to talk to her, later. Lunch went by fast, I don't even remember eating.

"We're leaving tomorrow. We're leaving tomorrow." Nicole started chanting. I wrapped my arms around her waist. And whispered into her ear.

"Babe. Calm down." I started walking behind her, with my arms still around her waist. I was too into what I was doing to noticed that someone had step in the way until the group suddenly stops. I looked up, it was my parents. I let go of Nicole.

"We need to talk, Mason." My mom said. The group walked away, Nicole slightly waved. I followed my parents, saying nothing further than that. They were side by side and I walked behind them. It was like I was in huge trouble, sad little puppy following its master. They walked all the way to the cabin. We sat at the table and stared at each other for a moment.

"Are you alright with going to Siberia?" Mom broke the silence, placing her hands on the table.

"As good as I can be."

"We need to talk about when we get to Siberia." Dad said, standing up and filling up three cups of water.

"I am listening." Mom looked down and sighed.

"There are no other guardians meeting us when we get to Siberia. We wanted few people to know, where exactly we were going. The people going and the house we are staying at know. That's all-"

"That's idiotic." She raised her hand to stop me from talking anymore.

"It's the right thing to do. Its not all about bring all you can to fight against enemies. Plus you kids do not need a lot of protection. It's our safety reason."

"I don't understand."

"In order to do this, everyone needs to think we're all at the Palace. It is not that major that we need to bring all these guardians when they are needed here. In Siberia there are less rabid Strigoi, they have reason on doing what they do. They just don't kill for blood, like the ones here. Less are on the streets, because there are not a lot of Moroi/ Dhampir, and its always sunny." Dad mentioned.

"So you're telling me, its safer in Siberia?" They nod.

"Don't get us wrong though, there are rabid strigoi out there. They don't know what Alexis, Lissa, and Christian are to us. They're safe."

"Besides, I think when your mother was looking for me, she killed most of them while there." My dad laughed, my mom shook her head, smiling.

"Is this what you wanted to tell me? That our group would be the only people their protecting ourselves if anything happens." They shook their heads no. Dad walked over and grabbed a book, it was a small brown leather hand book, sealed with a red ribbon, he handed it to me.

"This is all the research I have put together from Spirit to Shadow Kissed Morois and Dhampirs. You and just you need to read this. Don't tell your friends, don't let them even see you reading it. Little people know about this power, it needs to stay that way."

"Then why are you telling me?"

"You are on a need to know bases right now. This is all we give you." Dad said, I flipped through the book. To me it looked like a bunch of mumbling and nonsense. I didn't get what they wanted me to know about this book, about this power. I didn't get it, but I still nod and get up.

"Need to know bases. I got it." I left the cabin, shutting the door behind me. I stuffed the book into my pocket, walking to my room. I seriously think that the gang would be in the girls room again. I wanted to read this as fast as possible. To know what is in this book. As I thought the group wasn't in the room.

I sat at my desk, getting paper and a pencil out. I have no idea why exactly I did, but to take notes, maybe understand more, I don't know. I began; The first page had eleven people and the status I copied the status and names.

**Lissa**: _Spirit User_

**Rose**: _Ex. Shadow Kiss_

**Adrian**: _Spirit User_

**Jill**: _Ex. Shadow Kiss_- Dead

**Robert**: _Spirit User_- Unknown

**Oksana**: _Spirit User_-Siberia

**Mark**: _Shadow Kiss_- Siberia

**Sonya**: _Spirit User_- ex. Strigoi

**Avery**: _Spirit User_- Mental Hospital

**Reed**: _Shadow Kiss_- Mental Hospital

**Simon**: _Shadow Kiss_- Mental Hospital

The next page was a chart, it wasn't easy to understand either. It was more like who belonged with who, and little notes by their names at what happened.

Mom was connected to the Queen, and mom was shot. Left to fight for her life, when she woke up she wasn't shadow kissed anymore. Jill was connected to Adrian. It didn't go into detail on how she died. It just said that Jill was attacked when moving back to St. Vlads. Mark is connected to Oksana and they're married. Reed and Simon were connected to Avery. Oksana, Adrian, and the Queen fought them and it made them go crazy. Therefore they are in the Mental Hospital. Now, Robert was a weird case. He was connected, but mom didn't add her in the book. It just said she had died, and Robert was seriously going crazy and extremely depressed. Sonya, apparently she was a weirder case, well to me. She worked at the school as a teacher and slowly started going crazy. She had a lover, but it didn't mention his name. But she was so driven into crazy that she wanted to become strigoi to get away from it, and the lover went after her to kill her. But fail to find her, until my parents did, saving her. And she wasn't crazy when saved like she was before everything, and that she was sadden by what she did.

The next couple of pages were history and things she knew about some of the Spirit Users and their Shadow Kiss person. It really wasn't anything. I skipped through them. The last couple of pages were possibly of what would happen to the Queen and to Adrian. I closed the book, as I flipped the last page. There is nothing here, or at least what I found. I didn't understand. Dylan entered the room, and I hurried to hide the book.

"What did your parents want?" I looked at the window it was almost sun up, I didn't realize I spent the rest of the afternoon reading that damn book.

"Just a parents to son talk."

"ah, Are you packed?"

"No, you?"

"Just about. It supposed to be really hot in Siberia right?"

"I guess, but you never know."

"So I should probably pack a jacket?"

"Only my parents will know. But I take one just in case."

I got my bag that was under my bed and placed it on my bed. I just placed clothing in the suit case, making sure it was enough for about three weeks and then I grabbed my bag I walk around school with. I took out the books I checked out of the library, replacing it with a laptop and sneaking my mothers' book into the bag as well. I stuffed my leather jacket in the bag, and actually made sure I had sweaters in the suitcase.

It was hard to fit everything in there, but all I had to do is fold them a certain way. I was packed for the trip, I changed into my pajamas, and waited for Dylan. I could tell he was mentally freaking out, it was funny.

"Calm down." I leaned up and motioned to the bags he had. It was two, much like mine.

"You're packed, go to sleep."

"I can't, its weird."

"What is weird?"

"This whole thing."

"Dude, embrace it. It'll be fun." I lied, no not lied. I do think it'll be much fun, he just needs his sleep.

"Whatever man." He took off this shirt and pants, laying on his bed. He never sleeps with blankets on top of him. I found that weird as at night the dorm rooms get cold. I shook my head and turn off the lamp.

I woke up to banging on the door I answered it. It was my father, he was fully dressed.

"Time to go." I look at the clock it was 5 in the morning.

"Can we at least take a shower?"

"Yes make it quick." He left, I woke up Dylan and we went to the showers. I tried to make sure I was ready when he was. Which wasn't too difficult, I just had timing to deal with. When we entered the room my alarm clock was going off. Meaning it as 5:40 in the morning I got dressed. My usual; Jeans, t-shirt, and my boots. I grabbed my bags and waited for Dylan, he was walking around the room, checking that he has everything he'll need.

"Dude come on." I have no idea where we were supposed to meet, but I didn't need to worry. My dad was in the rec room waiting for us. He stood up and waited for us to fully reach him.

"Everyone is at the jet." We followed him, it was a little ways behind the Guardians dorms. When we got there he was right, they all were standing waiting at the door.

"They said you were taking a shower. But Dylan takes the fastest showers I know. It wouldn't have taken almost an hour." Nicole yelled. I didn't reply until we were closer, and I didn't have to yell.

"Yeah, but when Dylan wouldn't stop walking around the room, it would have taken an hour." All of their bags, were next to them.

"The captain is ready when we are." Eddie said. Our parents followed us onto the plane; we put our bags above where we were sitting. It was the queen's personal jet, you can tell by the way this plane looked. Most of the chairs were by fours with a table in the middle, one area looked like a sofa, and then there were a few chairs that turn. In the back of the plane was a make shift kitchen area, and a bathroom. I couldn't decide where I wanted to sit. My mom, dad, the Queen, and the King all sat together. Nicole sat with her parents, catching up. Dylan sat with Sophie and her parents. That left me and Alexis. The plane hasn't token off yet, and everyone was so relaxed and acted like they were already in the air. The 'captain' walked back and asked if we were ready, and to take our sits.

No one was near the sofa part of the plane so I sat there, Alexis joined me. My parents and Alexis's parents were sitting at one of the tables. They were talking about in a whisper. Dylan and Sophie's family were talking at the other table. Nicole and her parents were in the chairs that spend, like I said catching up. I watched them. Looked at every little detail, watched every move they took.

"What are you noticing?" Alexis questioned, she is the only one that knows I do this and catches me every single time.

"Well, you see our parents" I waited for her nod. "I don't know what they are talking about, but they want it just amongst them."

"I could've told you that, they're whispering."

"It's not just that. Their body language. You see the way your dad and my dad keep looking out to see if anyone is actually trying to listen? Then turning back to the conversation."

"Okay, what else 'mister I can read body language?'"

"Nicole and her parents. Just by the way her parents seem so into whatever she is talking about. It is a friendly conversation. And Sophie, Dylan and the parents. Dylan is so nervous-"

"How can you tell he is nervous?"

"One, he keeps rubbing his hands on his jeans. Two his eyes roam the jet to find something interesting. And three he told me he was nervous to talk to her father." She hit my shoulder, and smiled.

"That's no fair."

"Hey it's a fair explanation." I smiled at her and laugh. The jet takes off, it was an easy take off. Hardly anyone noticed we even did.

"What did your parents want to talk to you about?" She knew basically everything about me, and it was easy to tell her things. My parents said keep what they gave me to myself, could I keep it from her? I'll have to till the time is right.

"To see if I was okay about going. That's all."

"THAT'S ALL? We never saw you again until this morning. That must not have been all."

"I went to my room to start packing, I haven't yet. I was lucky to even pack enough on time. " She nods, but I could tell in her eyes that she knew there was more than what I was telling her. She didn't ask any further. Instead she asked,

"Are you nervous about meeting your father's family?"

"I haven't even met my mother's parents. Why would my father's be any different?"

"From what I can see, he grew up in a loving setting and live with family around him much like you are right now. You deserve to know who your grandparents are. Your mother even said that your grandfather might be there."

"I grew up with the people in this jet right now, This is my family, if they wanted me to know my grandparents they should've sent me to them a long time ago. What am I supposed to do, say hi I am your cousin, grandson, and nephew. And then leave in a couple weeks. I don't want that, I think it is better that I know who I know and leave it at that."

"You also deserve to know where your back ground is."

"Why are you so hooked up about this?" She just stared at me. I hit myself on the forehead.

"I am so sorry. I completely forgot." Both of her grandparents were dead before she was even born. She never got the chance to meet them. Here I am complaining about how I don't need to meet them and that is pointless too.

She slightly laughed. "It's easy too. Mom and dad have given me each a picture of their family before they died. That's all I got. And their stories they tell me about them."

I touch her arm. Letting her know I am here. It gets to her, even when it doesn't need to be. I don't mention anything for a while. Letting her think about them for a moment.

"Hey, as long as I have you guys with me. I'll meet them." Alexis smiles at me.

"Great. This will be a wonderful mid-semester break."


	8. Overthinking

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy/ Bloodlines**

Ch. 6- Overthinking

Sunday pasted by incredibly slow, the group did not do the usual things; meetings, meetings, and more meetings. Or if there was Lissa and Christian just decided to let the kids have a day off. Including all of the adults, Sydney and I mainly spent the morning in Rose and Dimitri's cabin along with Eddie and Emily. They were looking at the map of Siberia, the whole time telling and showing us the roads we'll take. I know Sydney's going to be the one driving, because she knows the streets better than I do. Dimitri said having three cars, and he'll be in the first car to show us the way.

Sydney was the driver for the second car, Eddie for the last one. Which Eddie should've probably went in-between us because if he take a wrong turn, Sydney would be following to show him the way. I do not have a negative thought that he could get there without getting lost from the group. I know he could handle himself, along with whoever is going to be in the car with him. Neither Lissa nor Christian showed to know the routes, or have a further understanding as to what exactly the plan was after we land. I guess Rose will fill it in.

Rose said that Dimitri and she had to talk to Mason about this, and she asked us to leave and we did because we all wanted to get out of the cabin. It creped out all of us, because it was so far away from the main campus. And even with people who are total fit for battling any strigoi or whatever comes in the way, it was still fairly creepy. We had spent the rest of the day in our room; we had only got out once to eat dinner. Then we started getting things ready for the jet ride, I know they wanted to leave when the guardians changes shifts in the morning.

This is around seven o'clock in the morning. Sydney wanted to talk one more time with her mother before we had to leave, so she called her and told her to get on the Video Chat. We waited for the invite to talk to her, for some reason it was easier to talk through chat with her than phone. Because I can see her face and not think that she is upset about something I said when I hear the tone. It was late, and we knew it to talk to her, but we would be gone before Sydney had a chance to talk to her. As she waited for the ding I made sure we packed everything for the morning. I placed everything on the bed, as I made sure we had things for the trip; restock the things that were not there.

It took a couple minutes, but the laptop finally dinged. Sydney started talking to her mother, while I put the last finishing touches on the packing. After all this time it was only recently had she came to the understanding I was fully capable of packing the things on my own without supervision. Of course I had to follow her ordering of things to make sure I did pack everything. I listened on some of the conversion but I felt like I was intruding on a mother- daughter thing. She had always told me she was close to her mother, I just never knew exactly how close. It shows when they talk to each other, it almost seemed like they haven't seen each other in years. The way they talked to each other was so understand for each other points of views, went beyond than a normal mother-daughter relationship I had ever heard.

Maybe because of the way the parents here are with their children. It wasn't like hers, of course, some were the others just seemed it was too personal and if one had died who knows what would've happened if the other decided to seek revenge. It was a whirlwind of what ifs? In this stage of Lissa being Queen. Shortly after I was down packing I sat down next to Sydney and placed my had on her lap.

The two women were now talking about the family and how they've been doing. Sydney's father had declared her 'dead to the family' and in most cases people didn't see her as part of the family she was an 'orphan' because of this. The family couldn't have contact with Sydney and Sydney to them. Apparently Sydney's mother wasn't fixing to follow that rule.

"How has Zoey been?" It was a weird, mainly unbelievable question Sydney asked. Zoey was the one who turned us in. At first Zoey started threatening Sydney that she would tell, if Sydney didn't do specific things Zoey would ask. Once it even went as far as putting Jill in danger to even see if Sydney would go to that extent to stay. I stared at Sydney, if it was something that she till cared for her I wasn't going to object.

"Last time I spoke to her, she was in Florida." Her mother said it seemed as she was uncomfortable talking about Zoey to Sydney. "She has been trying to get in contact with you. She realizes she ruined your life and ours."

"It doesn't mean anything if I don't get a call and the apology is from her. And I wouldn't go as far as ruined. I still work, no compulsion, no orders. I still do what I love to do, at the cost that I am safe and I stay with my family. I don't blame her anymore, well as much as I did." Sydney looked up at me and smiled, I just looked down at her. Zoey threaten Sydney no matter what they both said I was never going to accept an apology from Zoey.

Her mother turned her attention to me. "How are you, Adrian?" Her mother gave a slight smile as she waited for me to answer.

"I am fine, Mrs. Sage. Just letting you and Sydney get caught up is wonderful thing to watch and listen." I could be completely fooling myself on what I just said, but as long as Sydney and her mother bought it did not matter.

They talked over an hour. Her mother had mentioned that her father was in a sort of punishment because he tried something that didn't approve with them. And he was out of the house for a couple weeks. That they could talk until then, and then it's back on the phone for them. Because it was hard enough trying to get into his computer without alerting the system that it was someone else.

I didn't quite understand, but seeming as Sydney did I wasn't going to question it. She shut the computer off and plugged it in, which would be the only thing that would need to be packed in the morning. A TV was provided in the room we were in, Sydney flipped in on watching the human news. Mainly it was talking about a huge track jam on some highway. Then how the weather would be over the next couple of days would be the biggest inches of snow in the last twenty years. Nothing really happened, that was exciting, with the human world.

Even though I did fall in love with being out there and not be judged all the time. For making the choices I have made. But ultimately the moroi world was more understandable, just crazy Adrian doing the indescribable. The most supportive people that got us through everything was Lissa, Christian, Rose, my mother, Eddie, and weirdly Dimitri. I think Dimitri was just happy that I was over Rose, and that I wasn't going to try to get her back. But I never was I understood I didn't stand a chance with the Russian giant.

But the thought that led me to Sydney, I was grateful that happened. What if Dimitri never came back to life? Seriously. Exactly what would've happened? Would some weird way, I still ended up with Sydney? In some weird way, would Rose be with Dimitri. Possibly as a strigoi? I couldn't think about that. The thought of having something different about our past weirder me out.

I tune the news back in. This time they were talking about some Royal baby in the human world. I practically didn't care for that, but when I got a good look at the parents and the baby a familiar feeling came over. I couldn't explain it was like I knew them but I know I do not. They looked human as possible so I knew it couldn't be a Moroi or Dhampir in the human world that somewhere down the line was in the family.

But something sticks out about them. I decided not to think much into it. I stared at the TV not really watching. Sydney was glued, hanging on to everything that had said. I slowly felt my eyes start to fall as I fell into a dreamless sleep.

I woke up to an annoying alarm clock. This time I was close to the edge of the bed and Sydney was next to the wall. It was easy for me to get out of bed this time. Yesterday morning I had to find my pants and climb over Sydney all without waking her up. Usually I was the last one out of bed, and all I had to do was roll out of it without the worry of waking anyone.

Ever since Sydney and I been actually sharing a bed, I had to learn how to do that. I liked that she had her sleep and that it was better when she did. Her energy was always up so if she had to use unsuspected magic she could. She had gotten very powerful, during this process also. Keeping her blood sugar up and apparently a good night rest was all she basically needed. It wasn't much of a weird thing once you thought about it; actually it was the most expected answer.

Though, Sydney hasn't had to use to magic on someone since Sophie was born. She occasionally practices to make sure she wield the power and to learn new ones. I was now on the way to shower, I placed everything next to the door. After the shower, I walked back to the room to wake Sydney, gathering her things to take hers. It's like we had a schedule on showers, mainly because we shared a shower we took turns. I only remember once when we actually took one at the same time, and that was because I walked in with her while her shower.

I put my clothing in one of our extra bags (plastic bags), then placed it in the suitcase. I would wash them once we land. I made sure I packed the laptop, making sure it was fully charged and ready to leave when Sydney got back. Once she got back she pretty much did the same thing with her clothing. We walked to the jet; it was about ten till seven. Ah. Perfect timing, only Rose was there, standing in the normal stance in front of the stairs. Waiting for everyone else, she mentioned that Dimitri went to get the guys and that Lissa and Christian went to get the girls.

This jet was the bigger one Lissa had, well that the queens' own. Its past down threw queens or kings. The jet used just about every space it had for seating, so our bags would be over head. It seemed to take forever before Dimitri showed up with the guys. The girls were here first, and chatting against themselves. We climb on the jet, and got comfortable.

When Sydney and I took our seats at one of the tables, Sophie and Dylan appeared before us. I had completely forgotten that Sophie wanted me- mainly- talk to Dylan. Sydney mentioned for them to sit down, and we waited until they took off. I just eyed Dylan, he seemed nervous even without focusing on his aura I could tell. I didn't know I had sure power to do that. Most people meet me and think the opposite.

I decided to start the conversation. "So, Dylan why are so nervous about meeting me?" His eyes seem to be darting all over the jet, besides looking me in the eyes.

"I am nervous because you're my girlfriend's father."

"I still do not see the reason. I've gone out with one woman that her father was frightening everyone was afraid of him. It didn't stop me from ever speaking to him. I saw him and decided to approach him. And this man can do horrible things, Dylan. But dating his daughter wasn't going to stop me. The other woman's father threatens me. Still dated her... until she broke up with me."

"Dad…" Sophie said shaking her head.

"Sorry, so Dylan I hear that you've haven't had a real relationship before my daughter." I don't know if anyone else caught on to my meaning, but he looked at me questionable before answering.

"No, I haven't." He stated.

"Better stay that way." He soon got my meaning and blushed. I was met with quiet 'Dad!' and 'Adrian!'

"Not my fault if he embarrass easily. Besides its kind of mandatory for the father to scare the kid." Sydney sent me a glare, I simply smile at her.

"Okay, fine. Dylan. Tell me about yourself." He shot a glance at Sophie then looked at me.

"My power is Water." He shrugged and looked at his hands. I kind of expected him to name all these things to make me like him. I was token back slightly that that was all he had said. Nothing about his parents, even though we knew them. Nothing about school, not even that he was being raised by Rose and Dimitri. I guess that's really all he could think about that I didn't know.

"Dylan does mean son of the sea." Sydney mentioned, I have no idea when she decided to learn the meanings of random names.

"That's seems fitting, then." Sophie said, awkwardly smiling.

"You know dad. He is interested in fighting for himself." I know what Sophie was trying to do. Trying to find something that would spark my interest and get me to talk more. Get Dylan to get more relax. I wasn't to grab at the bait; I was going to question it.

"Really, how are you supposed to do that? Unless you try at school, and we warned all of you of that." I am all up for going against the rules and doing things you believe in. I just going to test this kid, will you stand up for what he believed in? All of us expectedly looked at Dylan, we all knew the correct answer, but would he do it. Dylan stares at his hands.

"Practice all I can on my powers. And try to get as much practice fighting in time I can get. "Sophie smiled at him; she knew that was the correct answer. I wasn't to let that just fly by.

"Even when you're doing it at school, you are at risk of having the students get attacked?" I can see the gears turned in his head as he seriously thought about that answer.

"If I learn how to defend myself. It is worth it, because I then can help fight." I nod and smiled. Knowing he earn some of my approval. I can visibly see him loosen a bit. Being in this group, as close as this group is. There was really nothing in secret with knowing the kids; we know some things about them. Not imitate ones; I am actually happy I don't know that about them. That would make all of our relationships weird.

Sophie and Sydney talked about things and sometimes Dylan would get involved. I simply looked at him and studied him. His aura mainly; it showed blue and sparks of yellow. I never really understood fully which colors meant for which person. It had depends on the person and what they are like.

From the little bit I knew about Dylan I could tell he has passion in doing was he does. I am not sure what the yellow meant. It could mean what Dimitri's and Rose's yellow meant which was love. I've never really studied Dylan's aura before, especially since I hardly see him. It always seemed to me that Sophie didn't want him to meet her parents, or that he didn't each way I do not like that. I then looked at Sophie's aura; hers was much like Sydney's when I first met her. But instead of the purple with yellow sparks showing, hers had pink and a bright green behind that was that purple color.

I have no idea what was going through her mind, but it defiantly showed. I have learned that telling girls about their auras to try to figure out what they feel helped, but most of the times they do not want to hear that.

Hours later, we were in a hotel room. Trying to go to sleep, I know that next day that we would see some things then head to the Belikov house. It wasn't much as I realized the hotel to be. But Sophie and I soon fell asleep.

It was morning and Sydney was following Dimitri to see the local museum. Sydney told me some about it, but it nothing to so when I actually saw it. As an artist point of view it was breath taking; the details, much work was put into it. As a regular guy point of view… there was none. The artist in me took over; I studied each painting and statue. I did the same thing as we left the place.

Getting to the Belikov's place took longer than I expected, but it wasn't much to do. That is what bore me to pieces. I could tell that Sydney knew I was, but I actually knew better than to say I was. I learned the hard way when I said that. Only crap, I knew Sydney was smart and I love that about her. But being locked in a car for eight hours more after I said that, she never went quiet. Granted I did ask questions, and I was no longer bored. But my mind was strictly handled the artist and the crazy, not the smart things. That was Sydney's job. I managed to stare at the landscape took a mental picture of it all so I could paint it later.

When we reached the house, I could see that Mason's aura showed that it had dim. We all stood back and waited for them to enter the house. Dimitri was still outside, when we reached the door. I guess he and Rose planned how they were going to tell them that he was still alive. When he entered he walked in behind them. All the auras in the room was bright all the colors in the room, a felt a headache coming on. I stood their next to Sydney; she had turned to me he face turned into concern, when she saw mine. She slightly smiled and intertwined her hand in mine.

It helped some, but it was all I could take. I had to get out of the room, and soon. Luckily shortly after everyone knew each other, they all pretty much walked all walked into the kitchen. I breathe not realizing that I was holding one. It was all I can do to not go crazy momentarily. Sydney held back with me, she rubbed my back.

"We could stay in here, and I could bring the food to you." I waved her off.

"Look, I need to realize that sometimes being in close space when all of them have really bright auras will cause pain. I've been in rooms with auras before, but like this I haven't I can do this. I need alcohol, though." When we walked into the kitchen hey have already brought out the vodka, I went straight for a glass. Lissa looked at me and nod. I tried not drinking as much as I use to, but I needed this. She understood that. Lissa wasn't able to see everyone auras, like I was. Even though she tried and tried she never managed to understand how to do it.

After dinner, we managed to make it to the living room. Mason and Dylan ended up leaving with Paul; I couldn't see their auras which I was happy for. But from the look on Dylan's face he wasn't sure about it. But I couldn't think much about it, I was pretty happy I had alcohol. Yeah it was way stronger than American alcohol, but I can handle it.

Some way during the night I made my way upstairs into a room. Everyone else stayed downstairs and talked, I knew if I didn't find my own room I would probably throw up on someone. I soon fell asleep.

_-End of chapter-_

_Hello, reader. I wanted to write a little author's note. Um… I am sorry it is taking a little long to get to where I want… no, correction. Where I want to be already in the story. I have written most of the chapter and some I am thinking of just leading into a sequel because then the story will be extremely long and I want to try to stop at most of chapter 20. Defiantly no more than 25, but at the same time I want to end somewhere later in the story where the Mason and Alexis has graduated. But as the story progresses I think I will know, or can you give my opinion. I cannot give much away… but I'll ask the same question frequently. Thank for reading –J._


	9. Meeting

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy/ Bloodlines. **

Chapter 7- Meeting

Siberia wasn't that long of a flight, maybe six hours. Nonstop. We were landing at a regular airport, but were allowed to carry our own things to the three cars provided. My parents rode with Alexis parents, leading the way. Sophie and her parents with Dylan in the second car, then in the last car left Nicole, her parents, Alexis, and I.

It wasn't that bad. My two best girls with me, I had a smile on my face the whole time. The first stop was a motel, it was dark out and not a lot of people were on the streets. I didn't know where we were or why we were stopping. We got out of the cars, and followed the adults inside. My dad spoke, in Russian. He hands the guy money, and turns to us.

"We have six rooms," He hands the keys out. I realize the grouped the kids together, and each of the parents have their own rooms. "Dylan and Mason, then you girls in the other." We all nod and head back to the cars to get our bags.

Dylan and I have room 4, girls room 10. I have no idea about which parents were in which room. Apparently Dylan and I had the smaller numbers because we found our room first. There were two twin beds and a small TV. Nothing much in the room, I guess he tried to get the cheapest motel he could find, or knew of and he found it.

Our phone started to ring. Dylan and I looked at each other before we answered it. I did, it was my father.

"What did he want?"

"To say it is opposite from what we do at St. Vlad's. The Moroi world does what the humans do, so do the students. To sleep and he'll wake us up in the morning to look and head to the dhampir house." Dylan shrugs and gets undress lying on his bed. I just took off my shirt and boots lying on the bed too. It wasn't much reason to sleep, but I could do for a nap.

I was up before the phone started ringing.

"I'm up. I'm up." I said before anybody on the other side of the lines could, I have already taken a shower and was dressed. I woke up Dylan, made him get in the shower. I grabbed my leather jacket out of my bag along with my mom's book. I had an inside pocket in the jacket. I hide it in there. Last night was cool, but you can feel the weather drop during the night. I didn't know if it was cool enough to wear a jacket or not, but I had it out just in case. Dylan walked out of the bathroom fully dressed and ready to go.

We walked out the room, waiting outside our door for everyone else. Sooner or later they all showed up, and the parent didn't look like they would if we were at home. They looked like regular people. Dad was the only one that still looked like him though. The Palace dress code was to wear black or white if you work there, dad managed to wear that and his duster he always had. Now he has jeans and a t-shirt on, with of course his duster. I never see him without it.

We got in the cars and headed to what I am going to call an outside museum. The colors, statues, and all the other art they had been so beautiful. We walked around for hours; the girls even brought a camera. Snapping pictures as we went. I can say I was having fun, everything was so fascinating and intriguing. The art, basically told the history of Russians, it was more interesting than reading out of a book.

Dad mentioned it was time to eat, and walked us to this restaurant. It looked like it was mixed with a little bit of American taste. We walked to a table that could have about 15 people. A waitress walked over, I think she can tell we were Americans, well most of us. I look like I was born and raised out of Siberia.

"Hello, what can I get you to drink?"

"13 waters." My mother said, I guess she has been here before. It looked like the waitress had recognized her. She took it down and smiled.

"I'll be back to take your order."

"I'll save you the time. Bring everyone burger and fries." My father said, she jot it down and walked away. None of us said anything, and we continued to talk. Alexis was on my right, Nicole on my left. I have no idea what order everyone else was in, well I didn't care. I had my best girls by my side. Nicole had the camera at the point in time and told me and Alexis to take a picture with her. I imagined they were smiling, I was just there. I couldn't see anyone of them smiling.

She looked at the picture and just as I thought they were smiling and I was there.

"PREFECT!" She then proceeded to make Dylan and Sophie take a picture with her, then just as a couple. Nicole and I already had a few picture together so I didn't expect her to ask for another one.

"You and Alexis, take a picture together." We looked at each other and shrug, I felt her chin on my shoulder and we 'posed' for the picture. Nicole wouldn't show us what it looked like but she told us it was cute. Our food came and we all dug in, we didn't eat breakfast and were all hungry. After we finished we stayed for a while, resting.

"I have so many pictures for remembrance." Nicole said happily. We laugh, and I patted her leg.

"Well, the next part of this trip is to start heading to the house. We'll finish looking around more lately." Mom said, standing up. We walked back to the cars, which was through all the art. I saw art I didn't see the first time we passed by. There were so many people walking, not noticing the art around them. Well, since they live around this I guess the 'awe's' went away over time. I don't think so. If ever I lived here I wouldn't get over the structure and art.

"Hey, keep up." Alexis yells at me. They were some feet away from me. I had to run to catch up.

"Sorry." I say, it wasn't all that much feet. But you can never know in places you've never been. All of us looked like little kids, so excited to do something. Well, maybe to the world we look regular over excited teens. I smiled to myself, I seriously didn't think I would have this much fun. There were no worries, there was like this, this bubble all of us were surrounded in. I didn't know how exactly to explain this feeling. It was there, I can tell.

We were in the cars, and my leather jacket was in my lap. I haven't let go of it, since we left the motel. So far it was only windy, but I had it on. This car unforchantly didn't have air conditioning so it was a little hot in the car. I have no idea where the house was, dad had mentioned we had been in Moscow and that the city we needed to be in wasn't that far when we were at the restaurant, but we need to get there faster. Damn this hot car.

Nicole fell asleep, for reasons unknown. Her head was on the window, her mouth was slightly opened and I could tell she was drooling. I smiled and shook my head.

"She is drooling uh?" Alexis ask looking at Nicole.

"Does she always drool?" I looked at Alexis; she was so close to my face. Once she realized how close she actually was she backed up some.

"Yeah. She'll complain when she wakes up, that she can feel dry drool on her face but cannot get it off." She brushed off what just happened and looked out her window. I have no idea how I keep getting stuck in between these girls, but somehow I always manage.

The sun was setting and it was a sight to see. Since we left the 'museum' it has been just a little over six hours. None of us really, knew exactly how long it would take. No one in this car has been, at least mom and Sydney have but they were not in the car to tell us if we were close to where we were going. Really this car was a bore; nobody truly had a conversation it was like everyone was in their own little world.

I started thinking about the book; I know I skipped over some. But most didn't make since to me there was too many pieces missing from the story. I wanted to read the book fully, but I couldn't let them know I have it. I think what disturbed me more than anything is that Oksana, Lissa, and Adrian fought Avery. How exactly? They're all spirit users, but Oksana lives here in Siberia. She couldn't have been able to help, per say. No not per say, she couldn't help at all, they don't know each other, they have no contact with each other before or after.

I mentally moaned it was stupid of me not to read the whole book. I would've been caught up with everything, or help out with something. I have no idea what possibly I could help with, maybe ideas with how to expand on learning about this power, I don't know.

"Mason, we're here." I looked around the car, all the girls were asleep. Eddie and I were the only ones awake.

"Oh. Sorry. I zoned." He nods, and wakes up his wife. I woke up Nicole first, which she woke fairly easy. All I has to do was say her name. Alexis was awaken when I waking Nicole. Once out for the car practically everyone stretched. I put on my coat, and followed my parents up to the house. From first look you can tell it had been expanded. This house was two stories high, that wasn't what was expanded up. It was the width of the second level that was changed, there was an um… Under area where it was expand. From what I can see it was made into a storage type thing.

Everyone kind of fell back some, my dad was behind me my mother in front. I don't know what they have planned but I just got the feeling his family didn't know about me or him, I guess changing back. I had put it together that this is probably why dad told me about him being a strigoi once. Mom knocked on the door, and I turned to look at the group. They had completely stopped in the middle of the walk up. My friends' faces were slightly encouraging; smiling and nodding. Their parents stood behind them more like in wonder. Dad and I were off to the side, mainly because mom made us stop.

The door opened, "MOM! THEY'RE HERE!" Mom slightly smiled, I looked back at the group. I knew then they could see her. From where they were standing and the point at the door, they were in view.

"Rose, it's nice to see you again. We thought we would never get too. Paul wouldn't stop asking about you for about a year."

"Viktoria, how have you been?"

"Since the Rolan break up?" Mom looked down. "Wonderful, I couldn't see it then. But you were right. I'm sorry I got mad, Paul hated me for about six months he thought I made you leave."

"I am glad to hear that. So you didn't become a guardian?"

"Naw, my family is my life. I could hardly handle being away for school, how am I going to go with months without talking to my family. Don't get me wrong I thought long and hard, before deciding against it. But I see you went back and became one."

"Yes I did."

"Why, don't you come in, those people could come in."

"They're leaving some time."

"To what?" This was a different woman's voice.

"Olena. How are you?"

"Wonderful, dear."

"Is everyone here?"

"Yes, Paul is just vising at the moment. He doesn't live here anymore."

"Did he become-"

"A guardian? No. He wanted a natural life. He lives with his girlfriend a few ways from here." My mom step in the house, I could tell she stayed near the door. A collective 'hello, Rose' came to her, once she fully steps in.

"Hello. So, one main reason I came here is to have you guys meet people. But one in main reason is that I wanted to introduce you to my son. Mason." Dad then proceed to push me forward until I was in view, he managed to stay out of view. My mom waved her hand to make me come forward.

"He looks just like Dimka." A woman said. A man entered the room; he looked just like my father. Like he could be my brother, more like my twin.

"Paul, this is Mason. Rose's son." Paul walked towards me, I felt like I was looking in a mirror.

"This is freaky." Paul said, standing next to me.

"The reason I drought him here, is because Dimitri was the only man I been with." Dad entered the room, along with everyone else. "I can explain why I came here too. Oksana said there was a way to save Dimitri, but she wasn't sure it'll work. It works." Every one of them stared at dad. It was like this fucked up version of…of a family reunion.

"Dimka, why wouldn't you call and tell us you were alive?" I am going to assume is my grandmother. She looked older than all the older women, and the fact that she seemed to hold the power in the house, just by the way everyone was behind her and her stance.

"Would you believe me over the phone or in person?" No one say anything, this was nerve wracking.

"It would at least been good to hear your voice, dead or not. They won't admit it. I will for them." The youngest one said she looked about Alexis and my age. SHe was beautiful, dark brown hair, stunning brown eyes, and her body was different from ones that I am use to. I could tell she took much after her mother's side. I don't know who her father is, but she looks a lot like all the women from this family.

"Enough of this silence. Let's let Mason meet his family." Paul said. He put his hand on my shoulder and smiled.

"Well, I am Paul, your cousin. That's my sister Zoya." He pointed to the beautiful woman. Zoya smiled and hugged me.

"Nice meeting you, Mason." She moved next Paul. Paul smiled at her, and walked me to the furthest woman in the room. She smiled at me; her hair was brown and short. She had earrings, and I could tell she had a little bit of make on.

"This is our wonderful mother, your aunt. Karolina. She is the eldest of the aunts." He laughed and moved down the row.

"This is Sonya, your dad's younger sister. She doesn't live here, so you won't be seeing each other much." I took the one next to her was Viktoria. She looked about mom's age, and it was not all big head confusion. When he introduced Viktoria and me, she slightly nods.

"Now I can introduce myself Paul." The one who has been standing this whole, time said. He nods and backs off.

"I am Olena, your grandmother." She smiled and hugged me. I wasn't sure what to do, but I wrapped my right arm around her. This was strange to me, especially with everyone here. In my mind, it felt more of a family moment. Me, my mom, and my dad; not everyone else that was here. But how could they not be here, they were staying here for 3 weeks. She let go of me and looked at the group of people behind my father. I stayed where I was, while she walked up to them.

"And who are these lovely people?" Dad moved out of the way, as they all introduced themselves. The Moroi telling what powers they had, except the queen and Adrian. They simply said, they didn't specialize.

"Well, dinner is ready. Why don't we go eat?" Paul took a breath and walked into the kitchen while everyone followed. Basically we all stood there like idiots, when we entered. The kitchen table wasn't big enough for everyone to eat around.

"I forgot to bring in tables and chairs in. Mason, Dylan why don't you help me bring them in." I followed Paul out the door, we walked to this shed. The door basically cried when he pushed it open.

"I keep telling them they need to oil this door." He said more to himself. "Now, let's see." He looked around the shed. The table was in the back of it, and the chairs were sporadically around the room. He moved the little stuff out of the way to reach it. The table was slightly bigger than I realized. In this dark, moon-lite room, the type of wood looked really dark and old almost like an antique.

"Grab the chairs, will ya." Paul said, turning and seeing Dylan and I doing nothing. Paul dragged the table out and waited for mainly us. The chairs weren't easily carried.

"We'll need to dust them off before we bring them inside." He said when we got out of the shed. He picked up the table and led us to a bucket of water.

"Mother, told me to clean them before you even got here. Shows how much I listen." He laughed, and grabbed the towel. Dusting off the table and each of the chairs.

"You know, mother and everyone else was extremely sadden to hear about Dimitri. We even had the burial. Rose got drunk that night, REAL drunk. She couldn't handle Dimitri's death as much as everyone else. I am surprise she even went after him. Saved him. Here they are, together and happy." Paul stopped and looked at me.

"You know, the most important thing is family. You HAVE to understand that. Do you think I want this life? An un-promised Dhampir? No, yes I love the life I live. I wanted this and a guardian life. Much like my uncle."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"So when you meet un-promised Dhampirs, you'll understand that I am different from them. You're mother knows most of them. They don't like the way Guardians do things, they take it into their own hands."

"What?! My mother knows them?"

"Later. Dylan, you can meet them too if you want. After dinner I am meeting up with them. By all means, do not tell our parents what you are doing Mason. They'll kill me." He proceeded to pick up the table and walked into the kitchen. Everyone seemed so into the conversation, which happened to be that Sydney went against morals. I don't know much about her life before she married Adrian. All I know is that Alchemist are strict and think that Dhampirs, Moroi, and Strigoi are all the same, evil.

I am not sure if any of my friends truly know what Adrian and Sydney had to go through to be where they are today. It wasn't our place to ask, and they weren't giving any answers to my grandmother or aunts. Paul set up the table, Dylan and I placed the chairs around the table. Nicole walked up to be and held my hand.

"Your family is very nice. Zoya even invited to take Alexis, Sophie and I shopping tomorrow." I smiled and walked up everyone was eating and having a good time. Most of everyone was just standing and talking, not even bothering to take a seat or realize that there was a table.

"Is the food any good?"

"Yeah, you should try that bread stuff over there." Nicole pointed it out. She let go of my hand, so I can go make myself a plate. I grabbed a little of everything. By little I mean super little, this family cooks enough for our school. It wasn't much food choice; the bread thing Nicole pointed out, pasta looking thing, and I don't know what type of meat it was but I grabbed it too.

I listened to all the stories had to tell, my parents pitched in too. Talking about me and funny stories of when I was a child. I laughed at some parts of those stories, they never told me about these.

_-End of chapter-_

_Hello, Readers. I also want to say I had written this __**BEFORE**__ Fiery Heart had even came out and before I had even read it…. Just for future reference. Also on Adrian's behave… the next couples chapters in his view of things are the past if any gets confused. I am trying to make up for the last couple weeks I missed and that will be up into chapter 9. _


	10. Remembering Dreams

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy/ Bloodlines.**

Chapter 8- Remembering Dreams

"ADRIAN!" Sydney yelled. I don't know where I was at. The power had been cut off; Sydney wasn't in the same room as me. I think I was in the kitchen, getting a drink while Sydney was in the bedroom. I was painting, it was recent and it since my muse finally returned my feelings I wanted to draw it out. It had taken me weeks to get a mental picture and a couple of sketches, but I found the perfect one. It was a mixed of my AYE t-shirt and hers. The full back ground was the heart half on fire, then in the middle of it a pirate skeleton standing with his motorcycle on his left, his leg on the foot rest.

"SYDNEY! Are you okay?" As far as I knew no one was in the house, that this was a natural occurrence. She sounded panic, I didn't know why. I grabbed a candle and lit it, I walked into the room. She was pin-straight I couldn't exactly figure. I went to hand her the candle she still didn't move.

"We're not back on this are we?" I questioned, I placed it in front of her.

"I am not tainting you; it's called trying to mend our lines. You can simply take a simple candle so you can see." She shook her head, but still didn't move.

"Adrian." Her eyes moved they darted to her right shoulder.

"Sage, what are you trying to tell me?" I walked closer, and was going to touch her shoulder. Her voice had stopped me.

"Don't touch me."

"Sage, I am not going to hurt you." I don't know what had come over her. But I knew this wasn't the real her. She said she was okay with dating me, 'course it was twice as difficult when her sister came into the picture. Zoe soon caught on, and threatens Sydney. Any credit was to go to Zoe, anything Sydney was to find she had to tell Zoe or Zoe would make a simple phone call and get Sydney taken away from me.

I couldn't let that happened. I knew Sydney was already terrified with the idea of re-education. I do not know exactly what happens with that, but her expression was enough to know I needed to protect her from that. Zoe had still looked at me the way other Alchemist do. Didn't let up, that we work together, or that I am in love with her sister. I think that made it worst, she knew our relationship would ruin the family name.

Part of me knew she wouldn't turn in her own sister, but the other half hardly knew her and expected she would do such that thing. Plus I knew she wasn't going to do it, because ultimately she had to make sure Jill wasn't to be noticed. A Moroi- Alchemist relationship would bring a lot of attention to Palm Springs that we do not need.

Sydney just stood there, looking straight at me. I studied her body; I then realized her body was at an awkward stance. Someone was behind her, that she didn't want me to know about. I tried coming up with a plan, it could be one of our enemies. Or at least another one; an Alchemist wouldn't hide behind someone, would they? There more of business type act, hiding isn't a thing with them. I went to go touch her again, this time though I was reaching for her hand. I was planning on moving her out of the way to see who was behind her. But before I could that person moved out from behind her. It was her sister, smiling at me. It's not one of those friendly smiles; of course, it was like I know something you don't know smile or the evil smile look.

"Hello, Adrian." She moved her hands, one that was holding a gun the other a phone. Great, was she going to rat us out? Or was that she got tired of waiting for us to slip up, and wanting to see something. Her sister is messed up in the head somewhere.

"Zoe." I stood next to Sydney as Zoe moved in front now pointing the gun to my head. She moved it back and forth between us.

"Now, one press of a button and Stanton will be on the phone, and Sydney here…will be taken in re-education." She waved the phone, and left the gun to my head.

"You can't do that! We've followed every rule you've placed!" Sydney yelled, Zoe pressed a button and started talking to Stanton. I couldn't hear what Stanton was saying, but Zoe didn't let up on her end.

"Ma'am, the evidence shows that Mr. Ivashkov has been tipping off where Jill has been for weeks."

"NO! HE HASN'T!" Sydney yelled, she pointed the gun at Sydney but above her heart.

"Yes, Ma'am that was…. Well ma'am she doesn't believe it… why, because he has helped her figure a lot of things out. She can't believe he has turned on her." Sydney was quiet, afraid her sister might actually shoot her.

"Ma'am… How I led to figuring out that it was Mr. Ivashkov? Well I followed him to places and they were always meeting up with the enemies of the Queen." She wasn't going to send Sydney to re-education. She was sending me away, possible jail. I guess that's better than Sydney going, at least she would be safe from anyone else figuring out about us.

"She's right Stanton!" I yell, Zoe smiled and placed the phone in my direction.

"Behind Sydney's and everyone back I was seeing the enemy. I was tired of being in Palm Springs, I figured if Jill was to be killed I could go back home." My head fell, and Sydney touched my arm. She understood what I was doing. Everything was for her, I might be sent to life in prison. They won't listen to Jill or Eddie or even Sydney. I just admitted it myself, that's the greatest evidence against myself.

"You see ma'am?" The phone was too Zoe's ear again and the gun was pointed back at my head.

"Well hurry ma'am I don't know how long I can hold him. I've only got a gun, and he is evil. I don't know what he can do." She hung up the phone, and placed it in her pocket.

"That made her believing me so. Much. Easier Ivashkov."

"Maybe I could change her mind, and say that you had gone rouge, and Sydney was going to turn you in and you came up with this plan to show how much power you poses."

"Why would Stanton listen to evil?"

"Because she has met me."

"It's not that simple." Zoe said sitting on my bed; she waved the gun as she thought about it.

"Well, anyways it goes. It's my word against yours, and Sydney here will agree with me or I will show her all the evidence that you guys are together." She grabbed a packet out of her back pocket, it was small envelope. She through it at our feet, I went to reach for it.

"No you don't. Sydney you pick it up." The gun was back on me as Sydney picked it up and opened it. It was pictures, pictures of Sydney and me. In the car, having dinner, her in my apartment.

"These show I might be doing business with him. Not we have a relationship greater than that."

"You see, that will lead up to the ultimate set pictures. The pictures that have you guys making out. I've hid them, so even my closes sister will not find them."

"You've been spying on us?! We've had a deal. Don't ask don't tell."

"You see those pictures were before that deal. I haven't been taking pictures after that. Figure with me off your back, giving a little distance you guys would do things. I didn't want to see that." She made a face.

"I was just as shocked when I saw you first kiss him. You're a good actress Sydney. Acting like you weren't consumed with evil. I've even heard about you dancing with him at the evil wedding. I've heard you didn't like that happen, you didn't like being there. But oh! You were so brave in dancing with him. You took one for the team. OH! If Stanton only knew! All these lies! About how you were trying to protect me from being in the alchemist. Ah. I can't believe I fell for it. You just wanted to be in a place to show that you were comfortable with them. Got tired of lying to dad. Priceless. What would he think when his little prize daughter was in love with a Vampire?"

Zoe is totally crazy, how they let her in the business? I will never know. I couldn't get my mind wrapped around they were even related. They were so different, from each other.

"Oh! And you know what tops it off? You went on a date with an alchemist! You know really liked him in the end? Was that to cover your ass?" Sydney was staring at her sister. I could tell she was holding back a few tears. I knew I had to do something else. I couldn't go to prison; Zoe might turn in Sydney after I leave. There would be no fights; I wouldn't be a problem in the matter when they come to get her.

"Zoe, why?"

"Why! WHY?" Zoe placed the gun on the bed, and walked over to her sister. Zoe placed a hand on Sydney's shoulder.

"I am trying to protect you. You see him being away, your feelings might change. He could be using his powers to make you love him."

"I am not!" I said I walked a little closer.

"You won't do anything. One touch of me, and I'll send Sydney packing. All the way to re-education." She then turned back her attention to Sydney.

"You see Sydney. People think highly of you. Being brave, it won't be so easy saying you're against them. Hell I might be replaced."

"Are you trying to tell me you're doing this for my own good?" Sydney whispered.

"Of course."

"That is crazy-"

"Crazy is you loving him! Why couldn't you find a better man? You had to fine one that was closes to you. Ian was a good man, so is any human man. Instead you had to go for the first thing you saw. Are you that desperate to not be a virgin anymore?"

"He is a good man!" Sydney attacked her sister, they fell to the floor. Zoe didn't have much training in fighting, so she had the down hand in this one. I could tell she was trying to get to the gun. I raced to the bed and picked it up. Sydney was sitting on her sister's back while her head was in her hands. Bending Zoe's back a little.

"Aw, look. He wants to protect you, Sydney. How pathetic? Apparently he can too only go for the only person who knows who he is. Because hiding that he is an evil creature is a hard thing to do."

"Sydney get off of her." Sydney got up and stood next to me. Zoe laid on the floor, blood trail down her lip. I handed Sydney the gun, and found something to tie Zoe up. I didn't own any rope, or a tie. The next best thing was Zoe's shoelaces. I tied one of them around her ankle, the other around her wrist. Sydney grabbed the pictures and stuffed them in her pocket.

I grabbed a few pieces of clothing, and began to walk out. Sydney followed.

"They'll find you! And you know it Sydney! They always get their man!" Zoe yelled as we walked out the door, into the car. I drove Sydney to the school, she was going to pack and meet be in the back of the school. But when we pulled up to the building; Eddie, Jill, and Angeline was already out, with two bags packed. We both knew Jill saw what was going on, we had hoped for that. I parked the car, and got out of it.

"Sydney I am so sorry. I should've kept an eye on Zoe." Eddie said. Neil wasn't in sight, and I was grateful for that. I wasn't for sure if he would cover us up. Jill, Eddie, and Angeline sure would though.

"It's okay Eddie. It was only a matter of time before she turned one of us in. We just didn't expect her to lie about it." Jill handed me luggage, and hopper, he was back in stone.

"I'll miss you guys." Sydney then hugged everyone. One day we managed to get away from Zoe and made a plan from whatever reason me and Sydney had to run. They knew that; I wouldn't be happy if Sydney had to run and that I would be more comfortable with being with her. Plus I wouldn't let her leave if it came down to it without me. We were going to head to the keepers.

Angeline managed to get a message to her family about Sydney and me. Without telling them our names; Angeline let us read the letter. She just said we needed a place to hide, and that she recommended them. She also didn't go into depth as to why we needed a place to hide. But her parents sent her a letter back saying we're welcome anytime. And that they're finding us a place to stay.

Angeline made it sound like we would live there forever. Sydney nor I wanted that, we weren't like the keepers. We just happened to fall in love with the other. I wouldn't go in the extent to say everyone should be that way. I do believe in letting people love who they want though. The human world doesn't need to know about us. One it might cause everyone to try to kill us. That's the reason for the Alchemist.

"I've called a secret place where we leave messages to them for people who left. If they needed help. Anyways I've called my parents and left them a message they should have it by morning. They'll know you are coming. And to warn you Adrian, since Sydney doesn't have a living family, there. They might have a stand in guy for you to fight. To show you deserve her."

"How am I supposed to do that? I don't have that kind of training, they don't know my powers or of them, and they don't know where together. What am I supposed to do?"

"Adrian they aren't that stupid. They'll be able to tell. Use compulsion, besides. Once they realize you're a moroi they might go easy on you. MIGHT, is the key word. Try to outsmart them." I was ready to fight whoever put Sydney in trouble. But to fight just to show I am worth it. A little stupid. I placed the bags in the back of the car. Eddie handed me a new license plate.

"Here man, I went to get you a new one. Zoe knows yours by heart. They'll be looking for that license plate. It might also help if you get a new car." He started placing it on the bumper. I walked back to Jill, and patted her back.

"Jailbait. Keep in touch okay? Have Angeline tell you the number, call at least once a week, until we can fix everything. To let me know you're okay. Okay?" She nods, and wraps an arm around my waist in a semi hug. I haven't called her jailbait for a while. Maybe since I got with Sydney, I couldn't pinpoint exactly when though. She let go, and back off. We all stood in awkward silence until Eddie appeared, from behind the car.

"I'll get ahold of Rose. Hopefully even Lissa. I'll see what they can do about this. Maybe they can help with having them back off. I don't know, but I know they'll help. They owe both of you." I nod, and walk back to the car. We tried just having it between all of us, but I knew once anything happened. Eddie might do that. I didn't mind; hopefully it would get us out of there quicker. Sydney followed a few moments later. I handed her hopper.

She instantly changed him into the 'dragon' he was. He looked up at her, and snuggled in her lap. I drove off. I couldn't remember exactly what Sydney had said, these Keepers were. I know I had at least leave Cali. For it. She was going to take over from then. She looked out the car, watching each tree pass by, watching her make shift family become smaller.

"I can't believe we actually have to do this." She said, looking over at me.

"We've known Zoe would do something. Maybe not as soon as she had. But we can't hide anymore." I placed my hand on her lap.

"Maybe we could stop, and I'll let you drive? We could get there quicker." Sydney knew how to drive, and fast I may add. Especially if it was in face of danger. I could do it to, I mean, I just didn't know where I had to go.

We were a few miles away from the school by now, before she decided she would take the wheel. I pulled over, and picked up Hopper as we switched places. I watched, as she sped through everything she could. Sunset was going fast. I didn't think that running away together would be in this type of situation in the sunset. But I would take this sun set. Because I was with her, because this was the only way to make sure we stay together. I wasn't fixing to lose her, I wasn't fixing to go through that pain I did with Rose. I wasn't.

I ended up going to sleep, because the next thing I knew she was parking the car, on the edge of a forest. She scanned the woods, and got out of the car. Hopper was back in stone, I placed him in my pocket.

"What do we do from here?" I questioned, walking in front of the car. It was mid noon, I could tell from how high the sun was.

"I think we need to walk some in the woods. We can tell them the Leader is waiting for us. If he is not with them, and go back to the car and get our things. They'll hide the car, so we need our things." She walked further into the woods. I didn't see any auras, so I followed. We must've walked at least half a mile, before I saw one. I stopped and waited, Sydney was now behind me.

She knew I saw someone, and yelled into the emptiness.

"The leader is expecting us! We just wanted him we are here! And head back to our car to get our things!" One by one, auras started appearing. Then faces became of them. One was smiling at us.

"Ah. Sydney. Take us to the car. We'll help you get your things. You're family until otherwise noticed." That was creepy. We led them back to the car and they wouldn't even let us grab the bags. The bags were nothing special, they were just backpacks. I knew we could hold them, ourselves, and Sydney seemed to fine that weird too.

We followed the leader back to the little village they have. We got all eyes, when people saw us. Whispers were all I could here. Sydney was in front of me, she wasn't looking at me and I felt a little hurt. She hasn't really said a word since we had to leave to me.

I focused on the whispers. Most contain that it's the 'Lilly-girl' again, why she is bringing another runaway, and that guy is cute. This place was discussing, dirt everywhere. These people seem like the last time they took a shower was a week ago. Of course they didn't smell, so it could've been because they live around dirt. We walked clear out of the village, and into more woods.

He last stopped, in front of an empty cave. I looked around it; I hope this isn't where I would be staying.

"We'll have beds, and other things for you to make your house, coming in the morning. But for now, you'll be staying with my son. He lives some ways down. He wanted to be far as possible for the town. He likes his freedom. His name if you do not recall is Joshua and I am Raymond. My wife's name is Sarah if you need anything we're the people to talk to." He proceeds down a few more miles down. It wasn't until we could see the building Raymond started talking again.

"He was going to live inside that cave. But he figured if he could build his house it would mean more." Raymond knocked on the door. He waited for a response. It took a while, but someone answered.

"Josh. Your quests have arrived. Make them feel at home." Joshua opened the door, bigger and let us in. Raymond followed, standing near the door as if he would walk away when he had the chance.

"Hey, guys. Take a seat." He pointed to the old sofa, in the middle of the room. The guys that took our bags showed up and placed them near the door and walked away.

"So your names?"

"Oh, uh well I am Sydney and this is Adrian." He nods, and his father walks away, leaving us.

"Oh, great. How's Angeline?! God I miss her. How's Rose? How's everything?"

"Hey, you do remember me?"

"Duh, my father thinks I forgot. Everything, well not everything. I still remember when Angeline fought Rose."

"She fought Rose. While she was on the run? She thought you guys are together?" I asked it was hard not to imagine that happening. Plus when Rose fought she tried to do damage… I couldn't help but laugh. I have to agree –as a girl's point of view- this guy had what it takes. He was pretty good looking, and he was high up I command.

"What?" He questioned, I was too busy laughing to answer.

"He was dating Rose at the time, she was here." Realization hit his face.

"You're the guy she was talking about."

"Hold there. She probably wasn't. The guy that was with her… you see now they're together. She dumped me once she was safe back at the palace. Its most likely she was talking about him."

"She told me she had a boyfriend and that it wasn't him."

"Well… boyfriend yes. Reason of not getting with you, him."

"Well…" he said before he pulled up a chair. "Anyways it goes, we didn't get the girl."

"I am over her. She didn't love me; I thought I was in love with her. But I know realize that it wasn't true. She's happy where she is at. You should be happy for her."

He sighed and looked up at us. He smiled and pointed to the back room.

"I've only have one extra bedroom. It's yours if you want for the night. I have extra blanket for whoever is going to sleep in here." Sydney shook her head.

"We'll both just sleep in the room. We won't have you having extra work. Adrian?" She wanted to know what I thought about it. Um… I was good sleeping on the sofa. I thought she was mad at me, I just couldn't tell. Plus she tried as much as she could not have us in the same room, to sleep in.

"If okay with you. I know how you are." She nods, and he nods, getting up.

"The village will be celebrating your comings. So we might want to start heading down there. They'll want you to be there." He said walking back in with a coat on.

"The bedroom is on your left in the hall. If you want to go ahead and put your bags in there." He continued. Sydney grabbed our bags, and walked in there. She can back out with a jacket on. I wasn't so sure how cold it would get. I didn't bother getting one. We followed him back to the village. The sun was already starting to go down.

When we got back to the village there was a small fire and a big pot. Everyone was circling it. Sydney and I sat next to each other, and Raymond went next to his family. Every eye was on us, I guess the big talk of it. Wanting to know us.

They waited until sunset, to start the actual celebration. They passed around plates and drinks. Telling folklore stories and laughing. They nevered once asked, why we were here, or what led us to come back. It was pitch black when Joshua decide to leave to gathering. And asked if we wanted to leave. Sydney and I were happy to leave.

We both felt weird, being with them. The way they are, and the way they act. I get that many of them, like the way they leave the others I can tell were happy with the life they had, but that spark they wanted more. Possible pumping…

I followed Sydney in the bedroom, as she sat on the bed. She placed her head in her hands. I sat next to her and rubbed her back.

"I never thought I would be back at this place. I hated it before, why did I think I would actually like this place the second time?" She whispered, and then looked up at me.

"Because it's for a good cause."

"The alchemist will find us here. If they visit while we're in the village. It is all over."

"Why would they visit?"

"Because they supply us food." Joshua said when he walked in the door. Did this guy ever heard of knocking.

"Sorry, I just wanted to give you two extra blankets. It does get cold at night, but that bed has about five blankets. You can take one of them if you need it." He placed the blankets on the bed, and walked out of the room. I got up and started making my bed in the chair. I moved the chair close to the bed so I could stretch my legs out and not be at an odd angle. Sydney moved back some of the blankets and got under them.

The only light that had been on when we walked in was a gas lamp. Sydney waited till I was relaxed and turned off the light. Silence fell over us, and I stared off to space. I thought Sydney was asleep before she asked, "Adrian… do… do you… want to sleep in the bed? You know, that could hurt you back."

"I don't want to step over your boundaries you've created."

"It's fine." I got up, as she moved the other half of the bed down. I slide in next to her and she flipped over to look at me. The only light that shines was the moonlight. I could on see the outline of her figure, and I think she could see less on me. She reached for my hand and intertwined our fingers, and closed her eyes. Falling to sleep.

_-End of Chapter-_

_Hello Readers. Like I said in the last chapter, this is a memory for Adrian and Sydney and will last… 3? Of __**HIS**__ chapters. Thank you for reading –J._


	11. Un-promised

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy/ Bloodlines. **

Chapter 9- Un-promised

Paul started cleaning up all the dishes, while everyone was still catching up. Someone had brought out the alcohol. Paul refused every time someone handed him a drink. Saying his girl would be pissed if he came home again drunk. Or that he couldn't work with a hangover tomorrow. Paul kept looking at me and Dylan shaking his head at us every time someone offered us one too. I would've refused any way it went, I wouldn't to read some of my mothers' book tonight and I can't do that if I pass out.

"Well, sees as everyone is finished. Let's fold up the table and lean it against the wall." Paul said when everyone made their way to the living room. When we were closer to each other, he whispered.

"You are coming?"

"I am not sure; my parents brought me here to learn things."

"You can learn a few, if you come with me. Dylan would be useful."

"For what?"

"I'll tell you on the way. Are you in?"

"Wouldn't they notice?"

"Everyone's too drunk, if they question us leaving. I'll make something up."

"Why not." He nods, and he cleaned off his pants. He starts walking out the kitchen. Dylan automatically followed me.

"Paul, where are you going with my son?" Mother questioned us. I could tell she still knew what was going on around us, and didn't seem drunk.

"My place. Carmen would love to find out I have a cousin. Um, if you don't mind can they just stay there too?" My dad smiles and waves us off before my mom could question any further.

"Okay, it's just over 8. I meet then at 9 it's the best time too."

"So where are we going now?"

"My house 'course. I am not going to be known as a lair. Carmen won't be in bed yet. I wasn't lying when I say she would love to meet you."

"Oh. So why are we bringing Dylan."

"He has powers. You'll find more out, later." He said nothing us, until we reached his place. It wasn't that far, from the house. But it was a freaking maze to get here. I couldn't easily remember it. It looked like an apartment. He walked right in, taking off his shoes.

"Do it or she'll throw a fit." We did, Dylan wasn't saying much. I think he was here as a friend, so I wouldn't get myself in any trouble.

"Babe, I am checking in before I leave!" He yells. The living room was connected to the kitchen and a small table was in the corner of the room. The TV was in the middle of the room in front of a small couch. Paul disappears for a moment. Dylan walked in front of me.

"Are you sure you want to do this? Meeting un-promised Dhampirs? This could be dangerous, especially if they meet at night." He whispered. Dylan was a few inches taller than me, and he had light brown hair. His eyes that usually show happiness in them showed worry.

"Look my parents brought us here to learn something. I can by meeting these people."

"Aren't you the one a couple of days ago telling me you haven't thought far in the future with Nicole because you might die sooner than she will?"

"I am not going to die, besides. Paul will get in trouble just by me doing what we are doing. I really do not think he'll let anything bad happen to me."

"That's exactly why we- you shouldn't be doing this."

"Dylan, we both can protect ourselves. Do you want to know if what you have been practicing for three years been working or not?" He shrugs and moves back next to me ask Paul entered his room.

"Mason, Dylan this is Carmen. My HUMAN girlfriend." He pointed to us when he said our names so Carmen knew which was which.

"Ah. Mason. I have heard stories about your mother, she seems like a wonderful women though I have never met her."

"So you know what we are?"

"Paul told me some time ago, yes. I haven't fully understood how to tell the difference though." She laughed. I nod and stuff my hands in my pockets. Carmen had blonde hair with her ends teal, which matched with her eyes. Her eyes had the same tint of blue in them. Carmen went to about Paul's shoulders and was fairly skinny. I could tell that this is what an awkward moment felt like.

"Carmen, Hunny. My family gotten drunk with friends. Can they stay here for the night?"

"Oh, so they're going hunting with you?" He nods, and looks at us. His face showed nothing, he was blocking what he was feeling. "Yeah, they can sleep in the work room. I'll place the cots in there before I go to bed."

"Thanks babe. We should get going."

"Okay. Be safe, and its nice meeting you guys." She walked back into the room on the right. We put back on our shoes. I knew what Paul was asking, when he said if I wanted to meet the un-promised. I didn't let my nervousness show through, Dylan was coping my motionless face. I can basically smell the nervous coming off of him.

There were more mazes we had to whip through, and running to be done this time. Paul knocked on the door, and walked in. Once everyone saw that we can in they went into fighting mode.

"Hey Hey Hey." He stuck his hands out in front of them. "This is my cousin and his friend. Thought he could be useful to use."

"You don't have a cousin." A very muscular guy stepped forward.

"This is Rose kid." Three people stood up and looked at me.

"She's alive? I thought she died going after her lover. We got there too late to help fight, she was gone."

"My mom is very much alive."

"I don't understand how this boy is your cousin. She wasn't related to you."

"Nothing, I am making him my cousin."

"He does look a lot like you." A woman stepped up, her hair was tied back. You can tell she meant business.

"Well, The Moroi could be useful. What is your power?"

"Water, Mason and I been practicing how to use to in defense." Dylan said.

"You're only useful as bate." He waved his hand at Dylan and walked away. I could tell that pissed Dylan off. They had a waterfall fountain in the room. It wasn't running, but there was water in it. I could he was also fixing to use his powers; they have a right to know that he can truly use his powers to help them. Water shot up and surrounded the muscular dude's body. He wasn't able to move, it engulfed in this tube like figure.

"Wave your hand at me again, telling me I am just useful as bait one more time and you'll be dead." The water fell, making a huge puddle on the floor. The guy was soaking wet, head to toe.

"Nice to know some Moroi know how to use their powers." He smiled and shook Dylan's hand.

"So, we spotted, walking into a building, a couple of strigoi last night a couple minutes west from here. They've been showing up here for a couple days now. We put together that there are probably about 10 strigoi here." We circled the table with a map of the city on it.

"Since your mother has been here, strigoi have been going done. Thanks to us too. But they also been heading towards Baia, this is the first group we've seen here. We need to get rid of them, before they terrorize the people here." The women said, looking up at me.

"So kid, you ready to fight a strigoi?"

"Denis, I need him a live when I go back."

"And he will be." Denis said he was the muscular dude.

"He is not fighting as much as we will. He can help as long as he is helping someone else taken down one strigoi."

"Kid, do you know where to hit?"

"I've study it."

"It'll be harder than in the books, kid. Maybe you should stick to dissipating them." He moves his finger across his neck. I knew what he meant, but he didn't say it right in English. We grab weapons and start walking. The men; where the ones who left to fight, not including Dylan and myself. Which were 4; Denis and Paul were one of them, the others haven't given us names. All but Dylan and I had stakes, Dylan was to use his powers, and I was to have this machete. When we reached the building, they stopped us and told us a plan. Which didn't seem very planned out. One of the guys went around back, and one in the front sneaking their way in. We'll follow and fight the strigoi.

This building happened to be a water power plant, type thing. Paul was in front of us, while Denis was in front of him. The other two guys went through the back to fight. My heart started racing, my first time actually seeing a strigoi. Maybe even kill one, shit my parents would kill me and Paul if they ever find out I put my life at risk. I should've never have come.

The group met each other in the main building area, nobody was here. I had a bad feeling about this. I put Dylan behind me; I don't care what they believed in. Dylan doesn't need to die, especially since he is just here as a friend to me. I mentally scolded myself, for agreeing to this. Paul stood next to me, making sure I was to be okay.

They jumped out of nowhere, but they were everywhere. We walked into a trap; there weren't 10 like they said they thought. It was more like 15-20. We all went to fight, I don't care what Paul said. Let my parents me, I am NOT dying by a strigoi. Their speed and strength was nothing I was used to. I tried fighting back, remembering much of what my father and the school thought me.

"Paul! Get the kids out!" I have no idea who said that, I know for a fact it wasn't Denis.

"I am a little busy!" He yelled back. I had no track of where everyone was I even lost track of Dylan. God, I have no idea what I'll do if he dies.

"Then they fight like us!" Now that was Denis.

The strigoi could've easily attacked us, but it was more like after one of us would finish with one. Another would show I still have no idea where Dylan was all I knew was that he wasn't fighting. Every few hits I would land wouldn't do much to this strigoi. It would easily recover and come at me again, when this happen was the time I was able to look and see everyone. I was still working on one strigoi and the guys have been working on two. I guess I didn't seem much of a battle. I forgot about my strigoi at one point in time and it was in front of me and put so much force into hitting me I went flying. I hit a wall, and fell simply to the floor.

The strigoi walked to me and kneeled. The Moon light shown a little and I was able to see what this strigoi I've been fighting looked like. His blonde hair slicked back, and he looked like he could've been a dhampir before turned. He was smiling at me, until he made me fully look at my face.

"Dimitri?" He looked stunned; I don't know if he knew my dad when he was what he was or before they both turned.

"How do you know my father?"

"Ah. This would be fun, like father like son." The strigoi continued to lean into me. He was so close to my neck.

"NO!" That was Dylan's voice I don't know where he was, but suddenly my strigoi had a round circle around his face. I looked at everyone else's; theirs did too along with every other strigoi in this building. The rest of them, didn't take a chance they staked their strigoi. I just kept staring at mine and he fought to breathe or at least get the water away from his face. Paul showed behind him, fixing to stake him.

"No, wait. He knows my father, I want to know how." Paul stood behind the strigoi.

"Dylan release the water bubble!" I yell then it fell.

"How do you know my father?" The strigoi tried to catch its breath.

"Dylan, the water bubble again!" I was going to torture the answer out of this strigoi.

"Release it!" I yell, then to the strigoi. "Answer my question."

"I know your mother too, before and after I was born."

"How?"

"I went to school with your mother. I'm older than her. I was born soon after I graduated."

"No, how did you know my father?" He shook his head.

"Dylan-"

"No wait. You'll kill me if I answer, you'll kill me if I don't. Why should I answer?"

"Because I am the one with the upper hand here."

"I rather be suffocated, before I answer you."

"Fine. DYLAN! AGAIN!" By this time, the whole group of guys were standing behind Paul, some beaten up really badly and leaning on things to keep them up. I let him stay there longer this time. I had nowhere to go, but even if I did. I don't think I can move. Dylan was too, but he stood beside Paul. He looked undamaged; I could tell he didn't fight. I nod for him to release it.

"Tell me."

"I…I am the one…. Who turned him…and showed him…our ways." Hatred was all I felt, with all my strength- I had the machete next to me- I whipped it across his neck. His head fell to the floor. I just killed my first strigoi and no one will ever know but the people in this room. I fell to the floor, my energy left my body.

"Shit." Was all that I heard, before I passed out. Maybe I was hurt more than I felt.

I woke up on this cot; I knew I wasn't at Paul's place because this house felt different. I heard yelling outside the room I was in. It sounded like Dylan, scolding someone. It soon ended and a man and women entered the room. Shutting it behind them, they took chairs and sat on either side of me. I knew they knew I was awake. The man sighed, and looked at me.

"What made you do this tonight?"

"My parents brought me here to learn. Paul said he could teach me a few things."

"He shouldn't have done that. What if you died?"

"My parents would kill him."

"Exactly, if you knew this. Why did you still go?"

"He said I wouldn't be doing any actual fighting."

"And you believed him?"

"I didn't once we got to where we were going, we ran into a trap." He sighed and shook his head. He had dark brown hair, and brown eyes. He was old, like Olena.

"That's why going with the un-promised ones isn't good."

"How long did you fight this strigoi?" The woman next to me asks. She looked the same as he did; old, brown hair, brown eyes. Except she was a Moroi, that much I could tell.

"I have no idea."

"Well, I token care of most of your wounds. Take it easy the next couple days, though. I couldn't fix your bones."

"Ugh. My parents are going to kill me, when they find out."

"I think they'll be happy that you're safe."

"You don't know my parents."

"Yes, but I am an adult. And can feel compassion for a child." The man said, he got up and left the room. Dylan then entered. The woman gave me a look over.

"You can go home, when you want."

"Thank you, for helping me." She smiled, and left the room.

"Yeah, how you feeling?"

"Sore."

"When Paul found out you were more hurt, then he realized he brought you here."

"Does she know who I am?"

"Paul wouldn't give any detail about you, just saying you were a friend."

"The fight was amazing to watch."

"Watch?"

"Yeah, the strigoi paid more attention to you and the guys. They didn't see me slip away."

"I wondered where you went."

"You killed your first strigoi."

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?" He nods and looks at me.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah."

"The strigoi said he turned your father, what does that mean?"

"Nothing." I am pretty sure everyone in the world knows what happened to my father except me and my friends. Like they are shielding us from it.

"Paul said it's time to go. He still doesn't want to be seen as a lair." I shook my head and got up. Pain shot through my abdomen, when we walked out the room. The man and women stood their drinking coffee.

"Come back tomorrow morning and I'll heal more of you, or at least I can try." It hit me then, she was a spirit user.

"Thanks will do." Paul helped Dylan walk me to his house; we slept on the cot the rest of the night.

_-End of chapter-_

_Hello readers. Like mother, like son eh? That is all, thank you for reading –J. _


	12. Remembering Dreams 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy/Bloodlines. **

Chapter 10- Remembering Dreams 2

I woke up and Sydney was really close to me. The distance between us that we had last night was no longer there. She was so close, I could feel her breathing. My arm was around her, pulling her closer to me. I moved my hand, and slowly got off the bed. Making it look like I didn't share the bed with her. I folded the blankets and walked out of the room.

Joshua was sitting at the table, drinking what I hoped was tea. It looked very dark, almost muddy. I placed them in front of him on the table.

"Thanks for the blankets, man." He nods, and drinks the tea, then looked up at me.

"Good night's rest?"

"Yeah." He nods, and slightly smiles. I sat down in front of him, staring at him.

"You want coffee? We make it different, but it gets you awake." At least it was coffee.

"No, I am good. Do you have bottled water or something?"

"It is in the ice chest." He pointed to it, and I helped myself.

"Dad says that your guy's things are here. If you need help, I am happy to come and help the things up. Show you how to make rooms, and move the things around." I sat back down, and drunk the water, not taking a breath.

"That's fine with me. Maybe you could teach me some tricks on the place." He nods, and looks towards the hallway as Sydney approaches.

"Did I hear that our things are here?"

"Yeah, we can get started as soon as possible. They left it in the opening of the cave. They also left curtains, blankets, a few things to have a make shift kitchen-"

"Let's go." Sydney said leaving coming back with our bags in hand. She handed me mine, and we waited as Joshua put the cup up. We walked to the cave, and made small talk as Joshua helped us set up everything. Our beds were in the back, separated by curtains to the living room and make shift kitchen like he said. Containing an ice chest, a table with two chairs, and one cabinet. Joshua went outside of the cave, and looked at the opening. People could just pass by and see inside and Sydney nor did I like that.

"Adrian, Ima go back to the village and get rope. I'll need your help when we get back. So don't disappear in the woods." He walked away and I was actually grateful. I took Hooper out of my pocket, and placed him on the kitchen table. Sydney saw that I had him and smiled.

"When we know that Joshua won't come back I'll change him." I nod, and sat down. This was one place we couldn't hide. And we still felt like we had to hide it. We sat in silence, until Joshua came back and asked that I bring the rest of the curtains and go on the other side of the cave. We hung up the rope first and then added one on the bottom to lessen the amount of air that comes in when the wind blows. The opening of the cave was huge, and we could only hang it half way up.

It helped with still having light in the place. They gave us a good amount of gas lamps, and we had two in the bedroom and two in the living room and kitchen. When we hung it up we took a step back and, deemed the rope straight enough to start hanging the curtains. The ends of them hand open and closed hooks. We each stood on a handmade latter, and hooked the top of one curtain. We ran out of that curtain near the end, they ended up giving us one huge curtain then one small one. I guess that was meant to be a makeshift door. When we were finally done Joshua had left us to getting settled in.

A couple of weeks have passed, now and we have grown comfortable with living here. We had two twins bed and our relationship had got to the point, where we moved the beds closer to each other, and rearranged the bedroom a little. Most of the village thinks we live together because we really do not have a choice.

Really we don't, but we do not mind. It is like adding another level to our relationship. So far nobody has asked me to fight for her. Plus I hoped they wouldn't, because Sydney told me they only do that, when they find out someone proposed. Which I wasn't ready for, yeah I would love to spend the rest of my life with her. But we have to get through this first.

Right now, I was playing with Hopper. We had made a little cage for him, so he doesn't wonder off. Now it was in the living room, and I was teaching him a few tricks. I've already taught him how to beg and warn us in different ways. Sydney walked into the cave, after going to the Village to get more water and coffee. The village usually eats together to save the amount of smoke comes from this area. So she also brought food.

"I've got a message from Jill." She said as she places the food on the table.

"What she say?"

"That Eddie still hasn't been able to get ahold of Rose or Lissa. The Alchemist are still looking for us. But a tiny bit of hope… She says that Eddie thinks that he can actually catch one of them next time he calls." She smiled at me; I walked over and kissed her.

"Maybe we can get out of here."

"I don't know you seemed to more relax here."

"Because you're here with me." She smiles, and starts taking out the food that was in the bag. Hopper crawled over to us, waiting for his bit. I placed some of the meat soup on the ground and sat in the chair.

"So. The village is wondering why they never see you."

"I might want to start being visible… yeah."

"Maybe just a little. I even give you advice; just pretend you are alright with what they believe in." She took a bite of the meat soup.

"Come to town tonight. They're having a birthday bash for one of the kids."

"I'll think about it."

"Why?"

"Because… all those kids running around? Being annoying, and all their auras?" I couldn't believe I was using auras to my advantage. "They have so much strong feelings about the things they talk about. They go bright, almost blinding."

"You need to stop using your power to your advantage." Crap.

"Fine I'll go."

The rest of the day past by too fast. The next thing I knew we were at the party. Like I said the kids were running around being annoying. The adults were drinking, and I was all in for that. Apparently the kid that birthday was today was turning ten. The music soon started and everyone started dancing. Some guy came and asked Sydney to dance. After a look at me, she went. I never stopped looking at them.

"Wanna dance?" She girl stepped in my way. I could consider her hot. She had long brown hair; her body was slim but defiant curves. I looked her over, and decided why not.

"Yeah. But I don't know how to do that type." They weren't doing any formal dancing.

"Just follow my step." She waited till I was standing up. To show a few moves; it was like square dancing. She made sure I had it down, before actually taking me in the circle. It was actually quite easy once I got the hang of it; it's more a rhythm than anything.

"So, what's your name?" I questioned.

"Mary. Yours?"

"Adrian." She nods and we continued dancing. Every once in a while I would look at Sydney and make sure nothing is going on.

"How do you like it here?"

"It has grown on me."

"That's great." The song that we were dancing too, ended and we walked back to where I was sitting while Sydney continued to dance.

"So, I hear you're in hiding."

"Yeah. It is complicated."

"How so?"

"Broke a very important rule."

"Must've been bad a lot of people angry, then to be here."

"Yeah."

"So where did you live before this?"

"At the palace... I am a Royal, all Royals live in the Palace."

"The closes things we have to Royals are the Dawes."

"The family I come from, are the second highest. We use to be the highest until the new queen that was set in place wasn't a family member. But I am happy she is the Queen."

"Ah. My family consists of Dhampirs." I nod and the drinks were passed around again. She got us a couple of drinks.

"Here is to family." She said before she drunk hers.

"To family." I drank mine until it was all gone.

"So why haven't I seen you around, since you moved here?"

"I like the place I got."

"Don't you get bored?"

"Naw." She nods, and smiles.

"You're friend seems to be having fun with Kyle. He is a dream boat here." I stare at Kyle. I hated him so much, right now. Sydney was my girl and if he thought he was going to take her away from me he had another thing coming.

"What family is he with?"

"Him? He is new. Human, by the way. He heard of us, and found us. We couldn't very well leave him to the world now that he knew what we were and what we do. That has damage. He was more than happy to stay though." I could've probably had a better chance if he wasn't human.

"No family? Is that unusual here?"

"Kind of but that is how this Village gets bigger. So there isn't inter breeding." I nod, and drunk some of the second cup. I look up to the sky, and thought it was time to go. If I was here any longer, I was seriously going to punch someone.

"Well, better be heading to the home." I pointed to the woods behind me. And stood up, handing her my left over drink.

"Hope I see you around the village more now." She says, as she gets up and walks to I am guessing her family. Kyle, Kyle the human. THE Kyle that Sydney could love and not get in trouble with. Kyle that seems that very girl is in love with. KYLE! I wasn't fixing to have another guy come from under my nose and take my girl away. Granted Rose was probably never my girl, but still.

I made it back to the cave, and saw that Hopper was asleep. I laid on my bed, and looked up at the ceiling of the cave. It was dark, and I could hardly see anything. Especially since I haven't turned on the gas lamp. I needed to contact, Jill. Or maybe Rose, that'll speed up the things. We could leave, and never have to come back, never have to see Kyle again. But would that cause more panic? Would the Moroi world be accepting? Or would they gladly give Sydney up to the Alchemist?

Is that why Rose or Lissa won't answer his calls? They know about this and refuse to help? That couldn't be, Rose and Lissa owe me. And so much, no matter what they think about this they should help me. Once they know how I feel about Sydney they need to help. Rose did everything to save, protect, and risked her life to get what she loved back. I need to do the same; she should understand that, she needed to understand that.

Part of me knew that she would, but that voice telling you that this what you have to live for now. This is it; this is where I would stay for the rest of my life. The more I thought about it, the more I was frightened by the idea. I didn't want to live like this; I wasn't raised to live like this. I hope Eddie will get in contact with them soon. I'll contact Rose or Lissa when they know. To make sure they're in. I fell asleep before Sydney came 'home'.

We have officially been living with The Keepers for about a month now. Eddie says that he got closer to talking to them, and he leaves messages all he could without tipping off anything. He SAYS he says I need to talk to you… Call me Eddie. I do think there is very much happening at the Palace. I mean, they could pick up the phone at one point right? I decided to head to the village. Sydney was already there, trying to find us something to eat. But I know she has gotten tired of bring me food a lot of the time.

When I reach the town there was a lot of talking, well whispering. I looked slightly at everyone as I walked further into the village. The main part of it cause practically in the beginning of it all. I saw Mary and decided to stop and talk to her.

"What is everyone whispering about?"

"Well, someone is fixing to propose and then they'll be fighting."

"Really, who?"

"Oh… Well. It's nothing. I come to think that you came for food? Here." She handed me a bag which I take it had my food in it.

"Thanks Mary." I nod my head to her and started walking back.

"HEY! Boy!" Everyone started whispered louder. I take that the person was talking to me. I turn around, it was Kyle. Standing in almost a stance the guardians do.

"Yeah…" It took me a good amount of time to realize, I was fixing to fight. He was the one who wanted to marry… marry MY Sydney!

"Rule one no using fire, water, earth, air which ever power of those powers you have. Rule two I win I marry Sydney."

"Whoa, hold on there. Marry? Why can't it be dating with you guys? Are you even certain she likes you that much?"

"She has been dropping hints. So yes." I shook my head and threw my lunch aside. And 'stretched', I stood there waiting for an attack. I hope all those defense classes help some. But how much fighting skill can he have, he is human after all. I looked around for Sydney, who surprisingly wasn't in sight anywhere. I couldn't even see her aura.

"Well, shall we start?" He ran and tried to attack me. I simply moved out of his way. He didn't really think on how to begin to attack me. I stood waiting for him to attack again.

"Seriously. That was way too easy, man." He turned and seems to think about what he was going to do next. I simply walked around him.

"I fought a strigoi once. You really think I can't handle you? Especially since you want to marry a very close friend? I don't think you're worthy enough." I could tell he was getting mad. That's exactly what I wanted too. His fist clinches, together as if he was going to punch me.

He swung and again I simply move out of the way. This time instead of waiting for him to get up, I simply punched him in the face. It actually hurt my hand pretty good. Kyle shook it off then stood up. While I was too busy attending to my hand, he took the chance to punch me in the gut. I bent over as Kyle laughed. I ran into him bring him down to the ground punching anything and everything I could.

Kyle pushed me off of him after a couple hits. I recovered quickly and was on my feet. This guy didn't really have any fighting skill at all. I couldn't really use my powers, because that could be cheating and Sydney would possibly be pushed into this marriage. Honestly I didn't know Sydney was spending so much time with Kyle for him to think she would marry him.

We attacked each other again. His arms on my shoulders and mine on his. I decided I should use my legs to knee him in the stomach. He fell to the ground like I kicked him in the nuts or something. I took this chance to take a breather. I knew I shouldn't he could use this time and attack me again. And there was no way I was going to let him have the upper hand.

Kyle, as I predicted, took this chance to jump on me and start punching. I tried protecting my face as much as I could. This guy wasn't going to let up, and he was much heavier than I was.

"KYLE!" We stop and looked up. Sydney looked down at us, and very angry as I might add.

"Hey, Sydney." He kind of laughed; it died down when Sydney's face didn't let up.

"Get off of Adrian." He looked down at me, giving me the evil eye before completely getting off. Sydney helped me up, and held on to me. When he jumped on me, my leg had twisted in an awkward angle. She let me lean on her.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Fighting."

"Why?" She looked like she was scolding a child.

"He wanted to marry you. I defended your honor." I said, pointing at him.

"Last time I saw he was on top of you."

"Hey, he caught me at a weird moment." She shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Kyle. I didn't know I was sending those signals. I don't like you like that. I already love someone else. If I did anything, I am sorry." He frowned, and looked at us.

"Well, I am sorry Adrian. And whoever that guy is I am sure he is a very lucky man." Sydney looked up at me, and smiled.

"He is. And I am a very lucky woman." He looked between us and nods. Sydney helps me walk back to the cave.

"What took you so long? I thought he was gonna end up killing me."

"I was talking to Sarah. It took me time to realize what was happening, or I would've interrupted earlier. Is your leg okay?"

"I think it is sprained. I'll be fine."

The next couple of days consist of me trying to walk around and not further hurt my leg. It was kind of difficult, because of how much walking I had to do. Kyle stopped hanging around Sydney and Mary stopped trying to talk to me. I guess the fighting with Kyle dropped hints that Sydney and I were together. Plus the fact, we actually act like it now. We haven't heard from Eddie or Jill two weeks ago.

It wasn't like them to do that, Sydney thought the Alchemist got a hold of them. Like caught them trying to talk to us, and the worst has happened. I knew though they would never give our location to them. It was all about trust, which I am not as good with that as I lead on. But it'll do. Sydney and I were now, in the middle of the village, heading to yet another party.

This time we danced together again, but we were not going to the sped of the music. We were slow dancing like at Sonya's and Mikhail's wedding. And we didn't care, that people were whispering and most likely talking about us. My hand was on her waist and intertwined with her right hand, while her left hand rested on my shoulder.

"This feels nice." Sydney said, smiling at me.

"It did the first time we danced."

"More awkward than anything, that was so much pressure. Here it's like… like-"

"Nothing matters. Rules are thrown out the window, here."

"Exactly, that's the point. You know if we are never able to leave. I am perfectly happy, here. Nobody is judging us here. Forget that they're the keepers. Forget where they live, and who we are. Just being here right now, in this moment. Is wonderful." Ever since Sydney has gotten her tattoo, 'fixed' to where she could think for herself. Her emotions show more, she tells me her thoughts more. And I loved it.

The more we danced the closer we had become; I don't think Sydney has noticed how close we had become to the ending of the song. The longer we had been together, the more it felt right to be where we are. The more I realized running was probably the best thing that could've happened. The freedom to do what we want, and live the way we want. It is probably not the ideal place to run away to, but no matter where I am at I do not care as long as Sydney is with me.

I realized that I have fallen hard for Sydney. My love for Rose never can compare to the love I have for Sydney. I thought when I told Sydney how I felt, that was it. I couldn't love her even more than I did, that's a lie. The way she moves, talks, even the way she carries herself is amazing. As we slightly move back and forth, hardly even moving.

"Adrian, even if we could stay here forever. We can't." I nod, as I went to say something shear pain came to my chest. I guess it showed on my face, and Sydney looked worry. I grabbed my chest, searching for some reason I would feel it. When Sydney got that my chest hurt, she searched too.

"Adrian, what's wrong? What happened?"

"Take me… to… the…cave." I managed to say, she wrapped her arm around my waist and help me walk back. The village wanted to help anyway they could, but Sydney managed to tell them that I'll be okay. This happens a lot, she was trying to remain cool. But we both could tell each other was afraid. I know I wasn't the one that was hurting. Nothing was wrong with me.

"Jill. Something has happened to Jill." When we got back to the cave the shear pain had died down, but then I felt empty. Like the part that Jill had in my mind wasn't there anymore.

"What has happened to Jill, Adrian?"

"I don't know she could be hurt." But why would I fell this much pain for her JUST being hurt. She laid me down on the bed, and grabbed a water bottle. She sat down next to me, and rubbed my hand. I was struggling to breathe; my breath would get caught every so often. It felt weird, almost like I was dying. But this pain, seemed more than that like ripping off your arm or a leg.

"Adrian, this would be the perfect time to do that Dream thing you, do. Maybe someone is asleep, maybe they'll know something. We can't sit around anymore if Jill is hurt." She had a point; I nod and try thinking about contacting someone other than Jill or Eddie. Rose would probably be asleep, I tried her.

The way this works is that I think about the person, then sense their aura or being –in a word-, then think of the little details of where we would meet and hope that the person is asleep. I tried a couple of times before I gave up and tried Lissa. Nothing from the both of them, I tired everyone I could until I was force to dream walk with Dimitri. Dimitri didn't seem like the type to sleep at night, but he was and he answered.

I imagined the school café. Dimitri had showed up looking confused as ever, I watched him some before I made myself visible. He wasn't facing me; he was more interested in figuring out why he was here. I tried not to move apparently the pain was so strange I couldn't fix it in the dream world. He was in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt; that much I hoped I got right.

"Belikov, Jill is in trouble." He turned around and looked at me. I guess I was the last person he thought would reach out to him.

"What kind of trouble?" I took a step forward, and almost fell. Dimitri was there to catch me, after I was up right, I slightly pushed him away.

"Wouldn't you know? Shouldn't you know? I mean hasn't Eddie reached Rose or Lissa yet?"

"No."

"She is hurt."

"Can't you just heal her?"

"Belikov it is more complicated than that. Have you spoken to an alchemist, recently?"

"No, we lost all contact with them."

"Great." I said sarcastically. "Look Sydney's sister came on board with everything. Ruined everything for Sydney, we're no longer with the group. She held a gun up to my head and Sydney's called Sydney's boss. And threaten us; if I didn't tell her boss that I was trying to kill Jill in away. Zoe was goes going to Sydney to re-education."

"What?"

"God damn it Belikov. LISTEN! Jill is in trouble, I can't get to her on time. There has to be something to help her."

"Where are you?"

"It is not about me-"

"You're supposed to be with her. They said you were with her. Lissa fixed the law; they don't need Jill for her to stay Queen. They're bringing her back to the palace. Why aren't you with her?"

"The law…"

"If the alchemist thought you did something. They would bring you to us-"

"They had my confession. That's greater than anything."

"I don't understand." I sat down and banged the table with my head.

"I broke a law. The reason we have the alchemist. I broke it. We had to run; both of us would've been punished. Sydney's sister found out and threaten us, she wanted more fun and turned us in. We've been in hiding for about a month." I placed my hand on my heart, the pain has subsided it was more of an uncomfortable feeling.

"Where are you Adrian? What law?" He sat in front of me and he waited for me to tell him the reason.

"Lets' just say. It'll change everything." I hate being like this to him, but I have to get over it right? I mean I found the woman of my dreams, I can't hold a grudge. I decided to let it go.

"In what way?"

"I fell in love with a human, not just any human. I fell in love with Sydney, it wouldn't mean much if she didn't feel the same way but she does… We're with the keepers. No one can find out where we are, not until she is safe. Believe me; we want to leave so badly. But not at the sake of someone getting hurt." He stayed quite. I thought I saw a hint of anger hit is face, but it disappeared. He sighed and closed his eyes. He was most likely frustrated with me.

"Rose said that would happen. I don't know what happened to Jill, once someone wakes me up I'll find out. We'll get to you as fast as possible. We'll protect Sydney. I owe her, we owe you. I'll talk to Christian and Lissa see what protection we can set up for you guys. Just hang in there." I nod and start letting the dream go, but Dimitri stopped me.

"Adrian, I am sorry." He disappeared, not that I wanted him to. I think someone was trying to wake him, or he woke up himself. I didn't have good control on the dream in the first place, so I couldn't put much into it.

Sydney was staring down at me, when I finally got out of the dream. She held a towel to me head, and I could tell it was wet. It wasn't much I could do; I could hardly hold my eyes open. I was suddenly really tired, I wanted to give in to the sleepiness but I had to tell Sydney what I learned.

"Belikov said that they were able to change the law. Jill was able to go home, he doesn't know much from there."

"That's great. Well the part of her being able to go home." Her voice was gentle, almost pleading like she wanted to know more. But that is all I had I couldn't tell her anymore about Jill.

"Wait… I told him about us. He is going to talk to Lissa and Christian set up something. He said he owes you. He'll protect you."

"Adrian, go to sleep." Was the last thing I had heard.


	13. Lying

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy/Bloodlines. **

Chapter 11- Lying

I woke up to Paul shaking me. This is the first time I got to fully see him, he had no scratches on his face or anywhere I could see. He must've had her heal him too last night. To protect our alibis, I guess.

"We need you to be fully healed before we go to the house." I looked at the window in the sun was just rising.

"What time is it?"

"Almost 8"

"I slept that long?" He looked at me strangely, and helped me up.

"What about Dylan?"

"Everything that happened last night freaked him out. It'll be better if he stays here." He helped me all the way over there. I had trouble walking, breathing, even lying down. That strigoi did serious damage last night. It really wasn't that long of a walk to the Spirit user's house, it just seemed that way because I was hurt.

When we reached the house, he knocked once and entered. Oksana and Mark were in the kitchen, fully dressed. Completely different from last night that they had robes on and house shoes.

"Sit, sit. You must be in so much pain. I've healed as much as I could of you, before I kept tried myself. All I needed was a good night's sleep to help you today." Oksana said, pulling out a chair. Paul helped me into it.

"Thank you for doing that Oksana. Mark I am so sorry for making Oksana use her powers to heal me." They smiled at me, and shook their heads.

"I didn't let her do anything. If we waited to get you to a hospital you would've died, you need help then and there."

"So she had to?" They shrug it off.

Oksana walked over to me and placed her hands on my shoulders. I felt power serge through my body and things fixing themselves. I was uncomfortable, for a moment as the bones moved into place. Soon the uncomfortable turned to pleasant feeling. I was heeled.

"Now don't let that happened again."

"I am pretty sure that won't happen again, at least not until they come to me. I am not going to them any time soon." Mark smiled at my answer, seeming approved.

"How did you know us? Our names I mean." Oksana asked.

"I… A guardian told me in this area that you guys were here and what your names were once."

"Really? Who?"

"It was a random conversation, with one."

"I see, well do you want a cup of coffee?"

"No thank you. I am not a big coffee drinker."

"Well, I think we should be going. We left his friend at my place. I have to get them back home, before his parents throw a fit. Please Mark and Oksana can we keep this between us?" Paul said walking towards the door. I thought it was very rude of him to be doing this.

"As you wish." Oksana said, but walked up to him. "If this happens to you or anyone else again, I am telling your mother."

"It won't I promise."

"It's nice meeting you." I followed Paul out the door, and we practically ran to his house to get Dylan.

"What does she mean when she said if this happens again?"

"My parents and so do they look down upon taking things into our own hands, especially my mother. The un-promised ones, I mean. If she found out I was risking my life every night it would be my head." By this time we were walking in his door, taking off our shoes. Dylan walks out the room, seeing as I am standing by myself smiled.

"Better?"

"Yeah, but look Dylan we have to keep last night between us." His face fell, but he nods. It would be his head too if he told anybody. He didn't come and tell my parents what Paul and I planned on doing, he came with. It was a very stupid thing to do, I am not proud of it.

"So, you kill your first strigoi and no one get to know but the un-promise ones and me?"

"Yes."

"Zoya, called. They're heading here first before they go to meet other people." Carmen came out the room, fully dressed looking like she was fixing to go work.

"Who is all coming?" Paul asked.

"Um… Zoya, Mason's parents, a guy named Adrian, Lissa and a group of girls. Zoya mentioned that she would be taking the girls out shopping today. And told me who was all coming, and how I 'needed' to meet these people."

"Don't you have work to be at though?"

"Yes. Tell her I am sorry but work comes first. It's what pays the bills." She kissed his cheek and left the apartment.

"You guys hungry? I think Carmen left some left over from last night she ate."

"Sure." I went to the kitchen and helped him heat up the food. Dylan sat on the couch, and relaxed. There was a knock on the door and Dylan answered it. It was my family. They all filled the tiny apartment.

"Smells good bro. But just having breakfast?" Zoya said, walking towards us.

"Yeah, I slept in." The food was about ready and Dylan came and ate some too. His I could tell was more forced to be eaten then mine was. It was kind of good, seem like the type of food that would taste better fresh and not left over. Everyone basically watched the TV or watched us eat, making me very anxious. When we were done, Paul questioned Zoya.

"Who are you going to go see?"

"Oksana and Mark. These guys seem to think they could help Adrian and Lissa with something." My back was to everyone. I was cleaning the dishes we messed. Shit, shit, shit, flipping shit. Oksana promised not to say anything, but does that mean about me too? I wasn't anxious anymore; I was nervous and a little scared. I wasn't scared of many people, but of my parents and what they could do to me? I was.

"Well, send them my apology. I have to go work." Zoya nods, as Paul left the place. I guess he trust us not to mess anything, up.

"Okay. Let's go, some of us have shopping to do!" We walked over to Oksana and Marks. I acted like I haven't seen any of this before. Acted just as, clueless as all the kids were. Dylan was more so, because he only saw it at night. I made Dylan fall back a few steps. To tell him that he knows these people and not to let everyone know, we know them. He nods, and catches up with everyone. I do so too, when we got to the place. Zoya knocked and waited for someone to answer.

"Come in come in." Oksana said when she saw such a big group. When she saw Dylan and me she raised one of her eyebrows, but changed it into a smile when she saw my mother.

"Rose, how you have been doing. I see you're not one of us anymore. And Dimitri nice seeing you again, been a long time. And who are all these people you brought?"

"Wonderful. I have a child now, Mason." She pointed me out and I walked over to mother.

"Hello, nice to meet you, uh…"

"Oksana. Mark, Hunny come see who came to visit us." Mark walked in the room and hugged my mom, shook hands with dad and back away.

"Look Hunny. Rose has a son." Oksana said, Mark shook my hand and gave me this look that I am sure only I caught.

"Glad to meet you." I nod and stood next to my parents.

"Well, this is Adrian and Lissa. They're just like you Oksana. And this is. Nicole, Dylan, Lissa's daughter- Alexis, and Adrian's daughter- Sophie. I wanted you to know their names at least. Zoya is taking the kids shopping while we talk." Oksana's smile never left her face, as she greeted them.

"Well, seeing as they want to talk to you in private. I'll take them shopping." We left the house. I was left to wonder if they would tell my parents.

"So where are you taking us?" Sophie questioned, she was hold Dylan's hand.

"To the town's market. They have some interesting clothing stores. Maybe you can find a shirt or two you like to have when you leave." Zoya said, looking back at us. Nicole slowed to walk with me.

"How was spending the night at you cousin's place?"

"Uh… Interesting."

"Really? That tiny apartment."

"It isn't the place that means anything; it's the people that were in it. Carmen, that's his girlfriend, she is human. She knows what he is and about our world. She is completely okay with it."

"That kind of does seem interesting."

"How 'bout your night, basically everyone was drunk when we left."

"We passed out shortly after in our own rooms. Their alcohol is strong." I laughed and draped my arm around her shoulder.

"So did you bring your camera?"

"You bet." I smiled at her. Nicole is opposite of me. I am organized, serious, and live by the books. Nicole is fun, full of life. She makes me happy to know that her future wasn't changing who she is. Or maybe until after she kills her first strigoi, everything may change. I looked down at Nicole. Nicole was short, well to me anyways. She was maybe a little bit short than Carmen is. I couldn't handle anything like that change her. I don't know how much fight she held in her tiny body, but it was weird for me. She is perfect the way she is, and I think killing will change that. I don't need that, not at all.

Alexis was standing next to Zoya, just talking her ear off. I smiled at her. Alexis, what could I say about Alexis? She wasn't like Nicole, but wasn't like me either. She knew when to be serious and when to bring the fun out. Like she could understand what I needed at the moment. She is easier to talk to more than my girlfriend because just the way she seemed to automatically understand me. With Nicole I have to make her understand, and it gets us both frustrated at each other. If Alexis was a dhampir, I knew she could handle fighting and killing a Strigoi because that just what it seems like. She could handle more things, and then anybody could ever know. Right now, it seems like Alexis and Nicole needs to which lives. This was a conversation in my head I shouldn't be having.

I think we reached the market, before anyone even knows it. I could hear the rumble of people and walking. Zoya took us straight to a clothing store, it wasn't much there. But some of the clothes were much like regular clothes in the states, except that the words were in Russian. And that this place was blocked off from the rest of the stores with blankets. I didn't trust this place.

"Mason! I think I found something perfect for you!" Alexis yells, I walk over to her and she wraps a scarf around my neck. I look down at it.

"Hahaha, very funny." I took it off of me. It was fur and thick, it looked more like when it's twenty below outside or something.

"I try. Mason we're on vacation, chill-relax." I nod and grab a hat putting it on her head. It was more like a beany than anything. And it looked funny on her. I couldn't help but laugh.

"See, there you go. But I look good in it don't I?" She posed for a nonexistent camera.

"Very." She smiled, and placed it back down.

"It looks like there is nothing here." I say, looking around some more, she followed.

"Maybe we should try another clothing store." I walked out the store and went to the next clothing store that I saw, now this was more my speed. Jeans, t-shirts, couple of jackets, hats and boots. I guess the last store was like old winter Siberia clothing store. We looked around some here.

"Hey, look." Alexis walked to the back of the store. There were different looking hats. I wasn't into it much. This was pretty much like an Americanized clothing store.

"Come on, we need to be with everyone else."

"Live a little." She walked further to the hats and I followed. I already had a bad feeling being away from the group and this was not helping at all. She turned her back to the blankets and looked through the shirts. I did the same, might as well find something.

Then out of nowhere, I was being pulled and my eyes were covered. I couldn't feel anything, and I could hear Alexis screaming. I yelled for her, but I couldn't move. I was thrown in the back of a van and I saw Alexis. She was passed out, one of the men put her head in a bad and did the same to me. When I felt the van start to move I started counting. It made me feel a little better, when things go wrong I count my steps or the stitches in a jacket, bag, cover, anything basically.

When I counted to 300 about 5 times, the van stopped and I was being carried. By what I hear; they were stepping on rocks, then up some steps, then on hardwood flooring. A door opens and I take it down a few steps. I was placed down and the bag was taken off my head. Another guy enters the room with Alexis and unbags her head. They left the room without a word; I didn't know how long I was paralyzed for. I just knew it was wearing off, my arms tingled and I could at least move a finger.

The men, I try to think about the men. They looked human, but American. Stacked with muscle, and both were bald. I stayed where I was and waited for the feeling to fully come back and to wake up Alexis. At this moment there was nothing for me to do, except wait for that. The feeling soon came back, and I made my way over to Alexis. I woke her up gently, I have no idea how exactly they knocked her out and she could be in pain.

"Mmmm." She moaned. "Where am I?"

"I don't know." She lifted her hand to her head.

"Crap that hurts." I moved her head, and a light trail of blood was down to about her eyes.

"Don't get up, you could have a concussion." She got up anyways. I held my hands up ready to catch her if she got dizzy and fell back down. But it didn't happen.

"So we're trapped here?" She asked looking around the room. Tiny light shown through a window above, and what looks like leaves covered it.

"Well, we're underground. I can see that." I moved to sit next to her, and leaned against the wall.

"At least we have someone to talk too." She smiled, but it soon fell.

"How long do you think it will take for our parents to find us?" She asked me, I shook my head.

"We're pretty far from the Market. I am pretty sure we are not even in Baia."

"How do you know?"

"I counted to 300 about 5 times. We're hours away from that place."

"This must be the first full day we're missing then." She leaned her head on my shoulder and left it there. Soon enough one of the men was at the door. Wanting me to come with him, I whispered to Alexis not to sleep for the sake of her concussion, I handed her my jacket. She nods and I leave the room.

The bald man was behind me leading me a few doors down.

"Why do you want us?" I questioned but never got an answered. He led me to a door, which had a chair with restraints on it. He pushed me to it. While on guy held a gun to my head they strapped me in.

They nevered asked me any questions really. They talked and talked and talked some more. One man had left the room and came back with a table covered with a blanket. I didn't show them how scared I was.

"Hey, look J. He is going to be a trooper." They laugh and under the blanket. Knives and electric things were on it. The guy cut opened my shirt; I was fixing to be tortured, I made fist of my hands to hide the pain as the cut and electrocuted me. Never once did I scream or beg I didn't want to scare Alexis. When they thought I had enough they dragged me back to our holding cell, throwing me in. Alexis basically ran to me and checking if I was alright. I waved her off and sat up.

"I'll be alright. They just wanted to break me down so I wouldn't fight back any time soon."

"We're going to be here for a while aren't we?" I didn't answer.


	14. The Past Comes Back to Haunt You

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy/ Bloodlines. **

Chapter 12- The past comes back to haunt you

I woke up and Sydney was nowhere in sight. I still felt sore; the only thing that didn't was my mind and that was hardly there in the first place. The only thing I could think of was that Jill was dead. There wouldn't be this much pain or emptiness if she was just injured. Guilt soon rushed, when I fully understood. The meaning of this was more than I could handle. Last night she was hurt, this morning she is dead.

Sydney walked in the room, looking stressed out more than ever. She hadn't changed from the night before, and her hair looked like she was pulling on it. Her face had dried tear stains on her cheeks and her eyes were puffy.

"Hey, beautiful." I managed to say. She slightly smiles and sits next to me on the bed. She stared at the floor, playing with her fingers.

"What is wrong?" I reached from her hand and held it for a moment, before bringing it to my lips. She turned to me and I wouldn't say play with but that is kind of what she did. She took one of my fingers and like rolled in hers.

"You know, I love your hands…they fit perfectly in mine. 'Course they're bigger than mine, but they fit perfectly." She started rubbing the top of my hand and smiled to herself. I didn't know where she was getting at, so I just listened and watched.

"We got a 'secret' message while you were asleep." She looked up at me for a moment, before looking back down at our hands.

"Oh?"

"It was Eddie… Apparently your pain last night, when you thought Jill was in trouble" She paused and brought my hand to her face. Touching her cheek and rubbing it against my hand. This isn't her usual self, and I thought the worst like Jill dying.

"It wasn't just because she was in trouble, Adrian. She died last night. When the group against the Queen found out that they didn't need Jill they got mad… They took it out on the group that was bringing her home. Eddie fought as well as he could, but in the end there was too many of them." I closed my eyes and started hitting the bed.

"I should've been there for her. We shouldn't have let your sister get in the way of our happiness. Very least we should've brought Jill with us."

"You know we couldn't. Jill understood what needed to be done. She understood the consequence of you not being around to heal. All of us knew deep down, but we didn't expect this to happen this way. Eddie says, they caught most of the group who attacked them and they're being putting in prison. They're trying to get justice."

"That doesn't make up for Jill being dead."

"I know, Adrian. I know." She moved to lie next to me, and snuggled up close. I think she was trying to calm me down or in some way help me through this. I knew that could possibly be what happened, but the dought took over. I moved my other arm to place around her and brought her closer to me.

She is probably the best girlfriend out there. Even just being with her for a month and a half, I feel like I can live with her the rest of my life. I kissed the top of her head, and we stayed lying down for the rest of the day. No one from the village came to see us like they usually do. They let us be. I know I couldn't give Sydney the best date way out here. I wanted to show her how thankful and unbelievably happy I was that she was mine and I was hers. The only way to do that was through dream.

I was way too weak to try to do that tonight. I planned everything out in my head, this was going to happened tomorrow no matter if I was at full strength or not. The longer the day went, the more alive I felt. I could feel my body, and my mind was more there. It was dark by time I got full feeling of everything. I could still feel the emptiness of where Jill use to take the place of.

Sydney had fallen asleep long ago, and I was listening to her breathing. Her breathing always calms me down, and her just being here holds back the darkness. I started playing with her hair, twirling it with my finger.

"Adrian, what are you doing?" I looked up and saw Sydney, staring strangely at me. I look down at my chest and instantly got confused.

"Weren't you just…" Her eyebrows came together in confusion, she stepped towards me.

"I haven't been here, almost all day."

"I could've sworn." She placed her hand on my cheek. She used her thumb and rubbed my cheek.

"Adrian, it is okay. You've been through a lot. Just come back to me." I have no idea what she is saying I was already here. I feel perfectly fine, nothing is wrong with me. She moved closer and lightly touched my lips with hers and searched my eyes.

"Come back." I was still so confused. At what was happening, what I guess I imagined… Spirit. Spirit was the cause of this. When I realized it, it was all but easy to get out of it. I managed with the image of Sydney.

"I'm here." She smiled and kiss my cheek. I sit up and lean against the old bed post.

"Jill is dead. I can feel it." Sydney looks into my eyes, almost searching to see if the crazy was still there.

"I believe you. But Adrian I don't understand how you know that."

"The feeling, this feeling is more than Jill hurting. I am not for sure how I know she is dead for a fact, but I just do."

"Adrian, I believe you. You've never lied to me before. Now come on, let's get you walking around some." I moved my legs to the side of the bed, as she places her arm around my waist. Helping me up, and giving me some linage to walk.

"I've somehow imagine, me helping you walk sometime. Not the other way around." She slightly laughs and nods.

"Maybe that will happen someday." The more I walked around the more I was able to stand by myself. It was weird on how the more I moved the more I felt alive. Sydney, after what felt like thirty minutes, had told me to sit down. She did a spell to let Hopper out of his ruby cased cell. We played a while with him.

It's been weeks since I've had that dead heart attack. No one will tell me, but I can see it behind their eyes when I speak to them. They try and try to cover it up, but I can always see it. The last time I spoke to someone was two days ago and that was Rose. She confirmed that Dimitri has spoken to her about where Sydney and I were and they are getting everything ready for us. She hasn't told me exactly when they plan to get us out. But she has said that Lissa is getting some guardians to protect us, when we do leave. I hoped for the day, I get out of here. I've never wanted to be more around people than this. Living in this place is boring; I didn't realize how much I loved that world. Now it is just 'That world', I've become so use to this world it's the only thing I really know.

I was in the village, drinking the alcohol they make which isn't that bad. Sydney mentioned that she had to come to town to talk to some of the women here. It was her own project that she had created to keep herself busy. I do not know much about it, but I do know that it was like a family tree type thing about the town. Some of the guys around here as warmed up to the idea that Sydney and I might stay here. I've created some friends, most just wants to know how I got alchemist to leave her world a banned everything they believe in and run away with me.

I've just ignored those questions and continued about whatever the topic was before they would bring that up. The more I hanged out in the village the more attached I've became. They're nicer than the people in the old world… my old world. I do whatever I can to hold on to that world though. Try to talk to anyone I could think of, just to have a taste of it. And I hate just having a taste of it, I want more, I need more. Sydney and I were walking back to the cave, we now are supposed to call home by now. We just can't.

"We need to leave; I am tired of waiting for someone to come get us." I tell her when we get out of ear shot from everyone else.

"You know, as well as I do that we leave it leaves us vulnerable to everyone."

"Maybe we need to fight instead of run." She nods and reaches for my hand. Hand holding has become the most affectionate thing we have done since being here. We still know we how we feel each other, but this place has gotten to us. We reached the cave; one of the curtains was open. We paused before I went inside. What I saw wasn't what I had expected.

"Rose? Belikov? What… are we able to go home?" Sydney stepped inside and stood behind me. They were sitting at the kitchen table. They both were dressed in Jeans and t-shirts. They look like a regular couple to the world of the humans, Rose's clothes fit loose I could tell that much.

"Lissa and Christian have sent us to guard you. We will bring you home, to the palace, and live with Lissa and Christian until further notice." Belikov said, getting out of the chair and standing at attention.

"Home." I look down at the floor and smile. My hoping thought has come true and the day I wanted to run and forget this place. Kind of funny.

"So you're saying. We go to the Palace, be protected, and hope for everyone to let me and Adrian be?"

"You will surprise on how many of them, agree with this. They think it's good, they think you guys didn't break that big of a law, when she is an Alchemist and already knows about us. They do how ever think this will cause problems with the Alchemists who want her." Rose said, looking at Sydney the whole time.

"They think you're too far into this. No re-education for you, they think that won't help. They're surprise with you though. Your father has order that you simply be forgotten. Don't get us wrong, though we think they're planning on getting you back and doing the unspeakable. Sydney as long as you're with us, they won't get you." Rose had continued. She nod stood in front of Sydney, looking so intense. Sydney didn't look away though, she stared at Rose.

"Whatever it takes." From there, they helped us pack up. It wasn't much; we still had the clothing from before and hadn't gotten any clothing since we've been here. We did however take the cage, they wanted to leave it there but Sydney wouldn't allow it. We sneaked out of the woods into a car that was down the road. Rose said they didn't want to be seen by the village because it would've caused a huge problem with trying to get us out. Since we've been there so long, it's a hell of a try trying to get away. Sydney and I left a note though, pinned to the curtain if anyone was looking for us. It said we had some unfinished business to take care of at the Palace, and that we may never come back.

I have no idea why we had started calling it palace since Lissa has gotten in control. I guess courts were a little intimidating. Nobody spoke the whole way back to them. We were so nervous to begin with, a parentally a lot has changed in a few months that we didn't know about. Rose had caught us up with a lot of the new laws and which ones had been rethought and changed. And that there had seemed to be a large amount of Guardians coming or becoming guardians. Most come from out of the country, have their completion tattoo, but not the guardian tattoo, if they pass a curtain amount of test they become a full on guardian. I do not know what has people changing their mind about becoming one, but whatever it is I hope it stays.

When we had reached the Palace; Lissa, Christian, and Eddie were there to greet us home. They all seemed happy, that we were back and excited that Sydney was there too. Lissa and Christian had showed us to our apartment we would be living in for a while until things calm down with the alchemist. The apartment was a one bedroom apartment, with everything that we've messed since living with the keepers. We loved it, when we had gone to see the closet they were already packed with clothing for us. Most was from my parents' house that I had left there, and Sydney's looked more new. Like they knew her size and went shopping for her. Most consist of what she normally wears; there were few that had the bright colors. I knew she loved it. More and more everyday she is breaking out of her shell. Includes doing things she has never done before… colored clothes, and living with the keepers. Living so long without this, was an eye opener on how much we were willing to give up just being together. Now being back here, with proper pumping, electricity, and hell descent food was more than enough we could ask for.

"Rose and Dimitri's apartment is right in front of yours. This is only temporary, while we slowly let everyone know about you. The few of us that know support you. New ages, as you may. Until we feel no one will turn on us, they'll be protecting you. Following you and being there. All of us will have a meeting at lunch to catch you up on everything." Lissa said, sitting on the couch. I guess that is something, not that I am particularly happy that Belikov was going to guard me. But I trust totally in his abilities and Rose's.

"What if we know about everything?" Sydney questioned, placing her bag down.

"Trust me, you don't. Rose had permission to say things about certain things. There is more, and we will fill after you have a good enough meal. You'll understand." Christian said, standing next to Lissa. After a long look at each other, they got up and left. Not saying a word after. It wasn't like them to do that. Soon Rose came back in the room and stood at the door.

"Lunch is in a while. Why don't you guys shower, after that it'll be ready." We nod and Rose continues to stand there.

"Rose, you don't have to stand at the door like that… We can handle it." She smiles to herself, and shuts the door. Sydney took the shower first, and I stick everything we took with us in the washer. I set up the cage for Hopper in the closet and relaxed a bit. Sydney's hair has really grown some since we left, and her skin wasn't as light as it was. She had this prefect tan that went perfect with her eye and hair color. Now that dirt didn't cover it, you could tell. She walked out, as she towel dries her hair.

"Your turn." I smile and stayed where I was, watching her. She had blue jean shorts, a red tank, and black flip flops. She must've gotten them out of the closet because I knew that wasn't going to be in her personal clothing. I somehow managed to get up and shower myself. I didn't want to get out; feeling hot water on your body like this was amazing. When we were at the Keepers, it was more of a pond. They washed clothes in it, bathed, and of course used for cooking some times. The water was always cool, and if you wanted a hot shower you would've went in the middle of the village boil the water, and carry the water back to your home to get a descent shower alone. I was all okay with bathing in the pond, they had. That was too much work for something that ridiculous.

I walked out the shower and picked jeans and a regular t-shirt. Sydney was sitting on the couch flipping through channels, trying to catch something that seemed interesting. When I caught a glism of her face, the alchemist tattoo was gone and she had a little make up on. I didn't question it, but I knew it was time to eat and get caught up. Dimitri and Rose were standing outside the door when we opened it. Surprising us, I shook my head as they turned around.

"I think we have enough protection, when you guys are just across the hall. You do not have to stand at the door." They had moved to let us walk out the room. Rose locked the door and we followed them I guess since they'll be with us the whole time. They're the only ones who get keys. Turned out we weren't going far down the hall. A couple doors down, we walked into the dinner room. Lissa and Christian was already there sitting down. Rose and Dimitri sat next to them and Sydney and I took that to do the same.

It was silence until Lissa spoke. "Adrian, I know you know about Jill. I can't begin what it is like to lose a shadow kiss like that. We brought you here, because you're going to be an important person in my group from now on. Not just because of Spirit, you have real potential to do something. And Sydney we decided that you'll be our go to person when we need to talk to the alchemist. I WILL have two guardians with you at all times. You'll get to decide which ones, later on. We called because Rose has told me everything she mentioned in the car. All is true. We have one more thing to talk about." She took a deep breath and looked at Rose. Rose nods, and looks at Dimitri like they were all sending a signal amongst themselves.

"I am pregnant. Rose is pregnant, 'course the baby isn't yours." First thought was Duh.

_-Untitled-_

I woke up from the long dream I had seem to always have. It was a horrible memory, but one that constantly comes in my dreams. I stopped calling them dreams, though. Every time I have one it was more like I regretted what had to be done, and what happened to Jill. This memory was going to keep replaying itself to torture me, any chance it got. Sydney was lying next to me asleep, I looked over to the only window in the room and the sun was up. I got up and walked down stairs. Most of everyone was awake, talking and eating breakfast.

"Hey, Adrian we're leaving in a couple minutes to talk to that spirit- shadow kissed couple. It's only going to be us. Sydney, Eddie, and Emily are going to stay at the house and help Olena." Rose said as she hands me a cup of water.

"Don't forget the kids are coming to pick up Dylan and Mason to go shopping." Lissa said walking into the room. As they filled their stomachs, they waited until Zoya was ready to leave the house. We walked far, until we came to a tiny apartment that Dylan opened the door too. We waited as Paul, Dylan, and Mason ate before we left the apartment to I hoped go to the spirit couple.

I don't know exactly what we could learn from them after so long. Every little thing does count though, the view of the way we were talking as beautiful. Plants and just watching the surrounding area was beautiful. It wasn't much of a view, but coming from an artist it was. So many ideas had popped into my head while we walked, I couldn't even think straight on certain things. When we finally reached the place, I noticed when Mason 'met' Oksana and Mark it looked like they had already known each other. The kids had left and it was almost awkward.

"Rose, you're not shadowed kissed?" Oksana questioned sitting on the nearby chair.

"No. It's a long story. But we're not here to talk about shadow kissed people as much. Adrian and Lissa want to know about Spirit more. We haven't gotten far since the last time I talked to you."

"What powers do you two have?"

"I have healing, and with Adrian's help I kind of now how to read auras, that still difficult though." Lissa said, and they looked at me.

"Auras, dream walking, and healing. "

"Neither of you have tried to talk to people in their minds? Or make something die?" We looked at her strangely. She nods and Mark leaves then walks in with a plant. She places her hand above it, and slowly it start dying then soon it grew back to life.

"I spirit user had found their way to me, and his power… He could actually take a life and grant it. He told me how to do it. I do not like it, but it is fascinating. The mind talking, it started when Mark could hear my thoughts, then we work on to where he could hear mine. We tried before with talking to other people besides each other because we are bonded, it kind of works. But the other person has to be opened to it." Oksana had said all this, without moving her mouth and she lightly stared at us.

"Then how were you just talking to us?" Christian spoke up; I almost forgot he was with us.

"You see, all of you are bonded in one way or another. Spirit users could automatically speak to each other. Well, I to them, they're more opened. Then Rose was shadowed kiss, you are married to Lissa. Then Dimitri is to Rose. Once I get into one of your minds, I can use the connection to talk to all of you. It is a very difficult process. But sometimes worth it." I wasn't buying it, but it was happening right in front of us. I would have to, Oksana moved on from the question.

"I've heard a Dhampir was turned back, a few years ago. I also heard about Mason. I didn't know who he was, but rumor had it he was born from two Dhampirs. I just didn't expect I knew the Dhampirs. And you Lissa and Adrian. The old books, books most people haven't even heard of… Mention the child of a Spirit user has so much power, they're feared."

"Alex only has one power and that's Fire." Lissa mentioned, confused looking as hell. I think this woman was bogus, nothing coming out of her mouth sounded right.

"It's a new age, Queen. I know many things. After Rose left, Mark and I spent most of our days researching Spirit. There is more out there than you have realized. Some dating back to the first Spirit user."

"St. Vladimir." Rose nods, but Oksana shakes her head.

"No. Before him, it is more of an urban legion... There was a God, feared by all. Has all the powers we've have. Stories say; he had five children each born with Spirit just a light version of their fathers'. Each one had one main power, but every single one had every power. They just had to work to have what their father did. A war became to the God to kill his children. The god sent out the children all over the world. Over time, it has ended with each child born of Spirit has a light version than the one before them. All Spirit users come from this God."

"Bull." I say. I haven't token the chance to sit down like everyone in the room did. Oksana dismissed me.

"Why was there war?" Rose asked, hanging on to every word she was saying.

"Well, the God and his children had twisted minds. Their power was so great it crowded their judgment, making them crazy. It is like ours, just think ten times worst. The followers knew they had to knock the god out of his position and kill the heirs, before the darkness became of the world. The god had sent the children before the followers killed the God. It was not specific on how they did it." I rolled my eyes, and looked down before looking up at her ceiling. As they continued their conversation about this god, I took the chance to sneak out. I didn't know anyone ever followed me out the door. I walked my way around the house, before I saw this garden. I looked over my shoulder when the stepping behind me stopped. It was Mark; he stared at the garden with me.

"You lost your shadow kiss. I can sense the place where she once was. Oksana can too, it is not Like Rose's and Lissa's this one is more damaged, then a clean cut. Per say."

"She died, years ago."

"Sorry to hear. But you really need to be listening to what Oksana and I found out."

"It seems like crap to me."

"Then, I'll tell you the short version." He sat down and crossed his legs not once looking up at me. I did the same; he was still facing the garden so I just followed the flow.

"You see. Spirit Users each have their own Shadow kiss person. One that is meant to be, if you had one that didn't fit I don't know. But you can just tell, if they fit. Also, you and Lissa are the only two people we have heard of that are a spirit user and have a child. Spirit users have so much trouble; it's like a Dhampir and a Dhampir. It's impossible, she was just telling you guys, because it might be true. The God's children each raised someone from the dead to help make an army to their father, but instead each one started getting less and less… Crazy. There are more stories about the 'right' shadow kiss as you wouldn't really feel them or that everything will just become easier and you'll be less likely to go crazy. The darkness wouldn't affect the shadow kiss much. They would still probably see ghost, and maybe have a darkness moment. But with the right Shadow Kiss, you wouldn't go crazy. If you don't mind me asking, how are you NOT crazy?"

"Lissa heals me from time to time. When my Shadow kiss died, I was out of it for days until Sydney helped as I was always drunk to escape... As for the children I know, for me it isn't true. My child is a Dhampir, born from a human. No extra power she will have." He didn't have anything to say; he did look over when Zoya was running up to the house, with most everyone following.


	15. Waiting

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy/ Bloodlines**

Chapter 13- Waiting

"Alexis. I want you to know something." We've been here in this cell for days. The light from the above window appeared and disappeared, about six times now. I was fixing to tell her everything I learned days ago.

"And what is that?" Alexis, was falling fast. I tried keeping her spirits up, but now it is hard to do myself. The men are bringing food for us, about once a day. I don't think that is the problem, she needs blood. She knows it and worst I know it. We haven't slept at all; she is too afraid that they'll come and take me with her asleep and the worst would happen to me. It had become a daily thing to take me into the room and torture me, sometimes with new weapons...

"My dad was once a strigoi. My mom had gone after him after the attack on St. Vlad's. She found out a way to save him and she did."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I had to get it off my chest. I have something else; you know the night Dylan and I went with Paul?" Alexis was next to me, head leaning back I saw her slightly nod her head.

"He took us to meet un-promised ones. A group of non-guardians who go fight Strigoi. They took us with them. They said it could be no more than 10 strigoi, there was we walked into a trap of like 20 of them. I had to fight. I was pretty bad, after words. But I killed the strigoi that turned my father."

"You killed your first strigoi? Is that what was bothering you that day?"

"Yeah, that and I almost died that night. Paul took me to a healer, and she fixed my bones and whatever else was broken. "

"Mason. Stop."

"There's another thing you need blood, drink from me."

"I am not doing that."

"You have to. To keep your power up." I put my arm to her face and turned to her.

"Make sure you stop, before-"

"Mason, seriously I am not drinking from you."

"Just do it, we won't do it often. Please, just enough that you don't look like one of them."

"Then you get all the food when they give it to us, I can survive off of little blood at a time."

"No, we share. I trained to eat little food at a time, you haven't."

"I will not do it until I know you'll be strong enough to get out on your own."

"Fine." I agreed just so that she'll drink. I am still giving her some of the food. This wasn't about strong or not, this was about keeping each other alive. We both knew it, that's the sad part. Alexis gave me one last look, before sitting up more and taking my arm in her hands. I ready myself, taking deep breathes and staring at Alexis trusting her completely.

I have no idea what these bites feel like. But from what I see from the feeders at St. Vlad's they can be very addicting. Alexis pulled my arm to her face and sweet bliss. The bite itself was no more than a pinch, but the feeling I got from the ephedrine's. I could feel myself becoming happier, and less aware of my surroundings. Soon Alexis let go of my arm, and I looked at her. I could tell I had this goofy smile on my face. Then I had this sudden urge to go to sleep. Alexis moved behind me, and let me lay my head on her lap. Her hair fell in front of her face when she looked down at me. I think mainly out of concern.

"Have I ever told you, that I am happy to have you in my life?" I said, reaching to play with her hair. I have no idea what made me say that, but it felt right.

"That's the ephedrine's talking, Mason. But no." She started running her fingers through my hair. It was comforting, unusually comforting. Alexis smiled and kissed my forehead.

"Sleep, you need it." I didn't want to, but I could feel my eyes start to fall. Soon I was asleep, walking up in a dream. Trapped in this room by myself, I get up and bang on the door telling them to let us out.

"Easy there." A voice said, a person walked out of the shadows, it was Adrian.

"Adrian?" He looked me up and down. I still had my clothes on; my shirt was still ripped open. He could clearly see my scars that are starting to heal over or ones that have been reopen many times, especially the new bite mark on my arm. When I looked down, he followed my motion.

"That'll be our secret. Look Mason, where are you?"

"I…we don't know. Hours out of Baia, that's for sure." He nods and walks closer to me.

"Do you know who captured you?"

"Humans, I haven't seen any Strigoi, Dhampirs, or Moroi. It's always the humans." He scratched his head.

"So you're looking for us?"

"What would make you think we are not?"

"It's been a really long time. Our hopes of being found before we die are sliming. I had to feed Alexis, because she practically looked like she was already dead." I practically was yelling at him, by the end of my words.

"Mason, we have everyone asking question. We brought in Guardians from all over, we even have un-promise ones looking."

"Denis and them, are looking for me?"

"How did you know his name?"

"Not important. At least I can tell Alexis something." I slide down a wall; Adrian came and sat next to me.

"Is this the first time you have slept?"

"Pretty much. Alexis hasn't slept at all. She is afraid they'll come get me again, and do this." I motioned at my abdomen. I pulled my knees up to my chest and laid my head on them.

"I am not sure if I can heal through dreams."

"No, don't I can't ask that from you." He slightly laughed.

"You're just like your mother."

"Hm?"

"Your mom didn't want Lissa or me using our powers on her. I think it was to stop us using our magic. But you hold it in for so long, it makes you crazy. You use it, and become crazy. There is no win; at least if we use it, our craziness takes longer."

"That sucks." He laughed.

"Nicole worries you know? So does Dylan and Sophie. I can tell when I see their auras."

"Auras?"

"You haven't read the book? That's one of my many powers. I can see auras, what people are feeling. That's how I knew your mother and father loves each other."

"So while I am sleeping you can even see mine?" He nods, and looks at me.

"It's blue, gold, and a hint of black."

"And that means?"

"Sadness mainly is in your aura. Love with the gold, and black. I don't know this black is different from what your mother's use to look like." I nod; I haven't spoken to him this much before. He seemed almost normal, with a hint of crazy.

"So, if you dream walk. Why did you come here, to this particular place?"

"I wanted to see if I could get any idea where you were at. So I went to your subconscious and let you fill in the blanks. That meant seeing you as whatever, and then let it be."

"Well if you can change it that would be wonderful." I looked up at him, as he seemed spaced out. I watched as the scenery began to change, and my clothes seemed to change into a bathing suit. We were at this beach, and the ocean seemed to have no ending.

"This was my favorite place to talk to your mother."

"You keep mentioning my mom. Why?" He laughed and nods. Again.

"Something told me she hasn't told you. After your father became what he did. We dated, even during her run away. She cheated on me with him, after that. Broke my heart, I loved your mother. For the little time. But I had to let her go."

"You're right she hasn't told me. Thanks for telling me, you could've been my dad." He laughed and patted my back.

"Trust me; you don't want to be my child. I'll know every little thing you try to keep from me." He smiled, and we shared a laugh. I have no idea what made Dylan freak out like he did when Sophie said he want him to talk to her dad.

I walked close to the water, feeling it on my feet. I liked the feel, my scars were gone, and I looked healthy. Adrian walked up next to me; he was shirtless and had a bracelet on his ankle. His wedding ring glared back at me.

"Your mom hated these talks, when she went after your father. We got so mad at each other I didn't try to talk to her until she was a strigoi whore."

"Strigoi whore?"

"Strigoi whore, a strigoi had her, drinking her blood every so often. She still wouldn't tell me where she was. Your mother is stubborn and persistent. "

"I can see that."

"Well, it was nice talking to you, Mason. But I need to tell everyone what I have found out." He started walking away.

"Wait; don't tell them I started feeding Alexis. Don't tell them about my scars, either."

"I can promise you the feeding. But I am not hiding the scars, they need to know the longer we wait, the most likely you will be dead when we find you."

"Please Adrian; I don't need Dylan, Sophie, or Nicole worrying about me. They need to focus, protect each other." He sighed and turned to me.

"I'll only tell the adults, they won't know."

"Thank you."

"Mason, you keep Alexis and your hopes up. I'll visit a lot, sleep whenever you can."

"I can't promise a schedule time!" I yelled as he started to disappear. I woke up and Alexis had her head back against the wall.

"Alexis…" I leaned up, checking her. Nothing seemed to be wrong, she was just sleeping. She still had my jacket on. I went to get the book out of the pocket. When I grabbed it, I backed up fast and went to a corner to read it.

There wasn't much about anything in the history. Just said what their powers were, and how they gotten stronger. It tells how Adrian and Lissa have to heal each other to stay away from the crazy. It told more about how Sydney was able to make mom look different at one point in time, and how they got mom out of Jail. How much they learned about spirit, they do not know much about being Shadowed Kissed. Mom wrote some things down about how it was when she was bound to Lissa. It all seemed too much. It then got to, when Avery, Lissa, Oksana, and Adrian fought. How they made her crazy, how they were able to fry Simon, Reed, and Avery's brain. How Avery wanted to kill Lissa to make her Shadow kissed. But having more than one Shadow kissed person bound to you can make it extremely crazy.

"Whatcha reading?" Alexis said, walking over to me.

"You know when my parents wanted to talk to me? This is what they wanted to talk to me about." I handed her the book, and she went through it. As she sped-read the book, she seemed so into it. I know if I handed Nicole a book to look through she wouldn't even give it a thought to read it. Not sharing the same interests as finding out why my parents gave me this book and why now?

"So what did they hope to accomplish with giving you this book about Spirit Users?"

"I don't know."

"Well, they want you to learn something."

"Maybe that is just it. For me to know about Spirit Users. How to tell which Moroi has these powers. Maybe they want me to help them."

"That's going a little extreme."

"Then, I have nothing." She handed me the book, again. I wrapped it back up and placed it back inside the jacket.

"How come I never knew that was there?"

"Lack of noticing things?" She shook her head, and looked down at my jacket.

"Do you want your jacket back?" She started taking it off, but I stopped her.

"No, it's freezing in here, keep it on." She shrugged and left it on without further argument. She looked better in it anyways. We were silent for a moment. For being in here, for six days or so days she looked perfect. I didn't care about how her face was stained from the dirt on the walls. I didn't even care that we were stuck here, together. I was actually happy that it was her. With any other girl, they probably would've given up completely by now. Fight to get out, go crazy or something equally stupid.

"You know, I can't ask for anything else but to be here trapped with you." I said as she smiled.

"Mason. You have a girlfriend. You need to stop talking to me like this."

"Like what?" I asked confused.

"Mason. You love Nicole; don't throw it all away just because we're both stuck here."

"I'm not throwing anything away." She sighs, and moves away from me. I have no idea what has me thinking about her in this way. We're only friends right?

"I talked to Adrian." She looked at me, excepting me to say more.

"And? You just can't tell me that then stop. What he say?"

"To keep our hopes up, they're having everyone they know looking for us." She sighed smiling.

"Thank god." I laughed.

"They have no idea where we are at. Adrian said it could take longer."

"As long as someone is looking." I couldn't believe how much hope she had, now that she knew they were diffidently looking. The door opened and the man known as J stepped in the room, telling me to get up. I did, Alexis started getting up. I shook my head, she backed down. J pushed me into the same room as last time. I think J is the one who likes the gun, because almost every time I see him he has one.

"What up boys?" I say when I enter the room.

"Sit down and shut up." He pushed me so hard I ran into the chair. They tied me up again, I looked around the room.

"So, what is in store for me today?" J was fixing to hit me across the face when the bigger guy stepped in and caught his arm.

"Below the neck, above the Belt." What the fuck? Someone must be paying them to hold us.

"Yeah, you can't hurt my pretty face." What did I just say? This isn't something I would say, I wouldn't give them anything. I need to shut up.

"Can we skip right to the cutting and beating?" J asked, almost whining.

"Can we, to shut him up?" Inclining my head to J. I was getting annoyed with myself, and I am not sure why I keep talking. They both laughed, and finally shut the door. For a while they just stay, leaned up against the wall.

"So are you still gonna be trooper? Or did we break your spirits from last time?"

"If anything, it has made me want to fight even more." I started banging my head against the head post of the chair.

"Regretting saying that don't cha, boy?" J laughs, and opens the door.

"We have new things this time." Again a table covered, rolled into the room. They un-covered it, showing in fact that they were the same items this time. I don't get what are the 'new' things they have in store for me. The last couple times all they really did was slice and electrocuted me. This time they didn't really cut anything; they did punch and beat a lot that re-opened most of the scars. They did leave the electricity running through my body longer than last time. J asked questions this time, and every time he didn't like the answer he electrocuted me. My mouth kept saying one thing, as my mind wanted to refuse to talk at all. I didn't understand what was happening, I just wanted to stop. The more I opened my mouth, the angrier they became, the more they took it out of me. I did manage to get unanswered questions answered.

Like, who they were. Why they were doing this, and who was in charge. Before they decided that I wasn't fun to torture anymore, they electrocuted me once more. I was differently unable to move, after this one. My head dropped, and I couldn't open my eyes. I knew they were un-cuffing me, one of the guys picked me up and threw me over his shoulders because I didn't have enough strength. He tossed me into my jail cell, like a rag doll. I roll a few feet before I stopped. Alexis like last time ran to me.

"Mason, open your eyes Mason." I felt her hand on my head, and on my chest. The door opened once more, I heard something slide across the floor. I also heard footsteps, to and from the plate of food. I could smell it, I also felt Alexis lean me up enough as she had practically force me to eat and drink what they gave us.

"Drink Mason." She said to get me to open my mouth and drink the last bit. I just felt so tried, they sucked the energy out of me. I wanted to sleep again; I fear the torture sessions would only get worst over time. I probably will not survive the next one.

I felt myself fall into another Spirit dream.


	16. Finding

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy/Bloodlines.**

Chapter 14- Finding

Mark and I look at each other and walked into the room. When we got there, I noticed Mason and Alexis wasn't with them. The kids were frantic, all yelling about something but nobody could tell what because it was all at the same time. Mark whistled. It wasn't that pity whistle, it was loud and annoying. As everyone looked at him, he took his fingers out of his mouth.

"Good, now. ONE of you tell us what's going on." All the kids looked at each other then started yelling, this time it was more or less at the same pace. Saying Mason and Alexis was taken, they searched the area but couldn't find them. And how nobody knows exactly when they were taken, but nobody was near them when it happened.

"I saw them walk out the little store everyone was in. We went to find them and couldn't find them anywhere." Zoya said, she was standing in front of the three completely lost kids. It looked like they were looking for her, to know the answers. Which wasn't unusual- Mason and Alexis were usually the group leader as they were the eldest and understood more. But Zoya was looking at us for the answers.

"Take us to where it happened." Mark motioned towards the doors. When we got there, there were so many people. It would've been difficult for no one to see who took them. We all started asking around, nobody knew anything. Zoya, Dylan, Nicole, and Sophie went around yelling their names and the rest of us questioned and looked for ways to get out without anyone seeing. With no such luck, we went home and told the rest of the family. Once word got round with them, everyone was at the house mapping the local cities, and the shopping center. Where they were last seen, and calculating how long it was till they went to check on them and realized they were gone, to even how long it took them to get us. The Belikov house was filled with the family and friends of potential guardians and the ones who cared.

The house soon became a command center. People running around, calling their people and see if they know of any group or thing. Lissa was contacting some guardians to search for 'looking into' groups to see if they could do anything like this or was this situation similar to one. So much was going on, that it was hard to keep up with everything. Rose, Dimitri, Mark, and Paul were head of this command center. I wasn't sure why Paul was, but he was younger and had knowledge of the human world as he is more into than anyone else. Even though everyone had their part into finding some bit of information, but no matter what people came up with it wasn't working.

By the end of the week, the big group of people we had helping had given up and were down to the family and a few known guardians for Lissa. With a tight nipped city, everyone practically knows everything and it was leading us nowhere. We needed more people and needed it fast. It was at night and all of the adults were racking their brains onto how to carry this on.

"This is basically what happened when Rose and you guys were taken. Disappeared with no trace, with no leads." Lissa said everyone was around the kitchen table with the map in the middle.

"Right before the big strigoi battle. Everyone was terrified, how is this any different. I mean… We were taken by humans, fed on by strigoi, and fought. Maybe we should trust that they can get away." Christian said placing his hands on his face. All of us were pretty irritable and over our heads. We wanted to find Mason and Alexis so bad, it was getting in the way of everything everyone has ever learned. All the rules were thrown out the window the moment we realized they were gone. I was leaning against the door way. I was the only one not sitting around the table at this point. It was over whelming to be sitting at the table.

"Well, what did the guardians do when you couldn't find us?" Rose questioned, and looked at Dimitri.

"Basically what we have been doing. Questioned, questioned, questioned. We had a clue where you could've been, but nobody knew anything. We weren't for sure if you were in spokeland are not."

"Adrian and I tried anytime we could to contact you. But we couldn't, and when we still had no clue. Maybe we could do the same thing."

"If they don't know where they're at, how could that possibly help us?"

"We'll know if they're okay. We could ask for things they at least know of, anything is helpful." Mark mentioned.

"Enough about contacting them. We need more people, just us isn't going to do." Sydney said, demanding and out there. Paul stood up and walked around the table.

"The un-promised ones." He waited for a response, nobody gave him one. "I know the leader, pretty well. They owe me I can take this as the pay back." Still no one said anything, they all just stared at each other and looked hesitant.

"Give them a call." I said everyone looked at me shocked.

"We need all we can get. They still went through the same training, they're just not held back by all the rules… We may need that. They don't care if they get in trouble, why should they? They're not Guardians." I justified my reasoning. A few months after Sydney and I went back to the Palace, Rose had talked to me about what happened while she was here. I think that's when we were able to become friends, we're not as close as Lissa and she is but we're getting there. We trust each other with our lives and I believe now that that was what was supposed to happen.

"I'll give my dad a call, too." Rose said it was a step up. Abe had come back to Russia after Sonya and Mikhail's wedding. 'Business' he said, I do not actually know if he knows about Mason. It would make for an interesting family reunion.

"We need both, that'll be good. Paul call the un-promise ones." Dimitri said, his eyebrows were scrunched up and his hands were clamped together as he was in thought. They were both on the phone in an instance.

"We cannot keep using the house as our command center. The kids need something other than just talk about getting them back or the unspeakable. We need to move this place and four people only working in that space. As everyone else is out finding." Sydney said, walking out the room. We looked at each other when she walked by me. I look back at the group as they are no longer paying attention to what everyone was trying to come up with, just focusing on the calls. I walked to Sydney and my room. She was on the bed, facing me when I walked in. I sat down next to her and placed my hand on her leg. In return she placed her hand on mine and looked up at me.

"Adrian… I am going to call the Alchemist." I searched her eyes. I remember her telling me once that she felt so useless because she couldn't find out much information without having Alchemist storming the place, or trying to take over.

"Are you sure?" I questioned because I didn't want her to risk anything we didn't want to deal with.

"I am sure. We need something."

"Well if you do that I am dream walking."

"No, Adrian. You can't. I know how much trouble you went through to stop the drinking and the using too much spirit. Using too much, will set you back. Do you really want Sophie to see you that way?"

She turned towards me, leg on the bed, left hand on my back while her right held my hand. I know telling her this was going to get that type of reaction, but better me than Lissa. And Sophie had to know what this power does to a person, especially her father who was known as kind of crazy.

"You'll protect her. And it's better for me than Lissa. Plus, do you really think Lissa would be good to listen what they're doing to them?"

"Well, no." She put her head down. I leaned over and kissed the top of her head.

"I am going to try now. See if Mason is asleep."

"Why Mason?"

"He's the strongest. They'll get his spirit down before they even touch Alexis." She nods and leaves the room. It wasn't going to be easy, or as easy as it used to be. I've suppressed spirit as much as possible and try not to use it, since I found out that Sophie was going to happen. I brought my legs up, took a deep breath, and concentrated. I hoped he would be asleep, I knew there was a possibility that I wasn't going to get to him on the first try. I opened my mind up, thinking about him and letting his subconious take over if he was asleep. After trying a couple times, I had finally got a hold of him.

The room turned into concrete, with little light shown above, and metal door. Mason laid on the ground, he slowly got up and banged on the door telling whoever to open it. His shirt had been ripped opened and he had a few marks on his arm.

"Easy there." I was leaning against the furthest wall in the shadows; I stepped out as he looks towards me.

"Adrian?" His face looked like he was in a dark dream, and I wasn't real. Soon, I think he remembered I could dream walk, and if he didn't he doesn't listen to his mother and father very well. Mason moved to looked down at his arm. I already knew it was there but Mason look freaked about it. I slightly smiled, and shook my head.

"That'll be our secret. Look Mason, where are you?" He looks around, and I do not even think that he did.

"I…we don't know. Hours out of Baia, that's for sure." I understood that when you are being kidnapped you kind of don't pay attention so I wasn't upset with him. Besides, I had to keep him sort of clam, to get answers out of him. I walked so that we were looking eye-to-eye to let him know this is everything but pay time.

"Do you know who captured you?"

"Humans, I haven't seen any strigoi, Dhampirs, or Moroi. It's always the humans." It didn't sound right; the humans have nothing against us. They shouldn't even know that we exist. It could be Alchemist-

"So you're looking for us?"

"What would make you think we are not?" It was strange that they- he would think we weren't even trying to find them and take down the people who took them.

"It's been a really long time. Our hopes of being found before we die are sliming. I had to feed Alexis, because she practically looked like she was already dead." Mason was yelling, strongly about the situation. I wasn't taken back by it, though.

"Mason, we have everyone asking question. We brought In Guardians from all over, we even have un-promise ones looking."

"Denis and them, are looking for me?" He knew his name. I knew something was going on between Paul and him the other day. But how?

"How did you know his name?"

"Not important. At least I can tell Alexis something." He sat against the wall. I decided to do the same. I haven't really 'hanged' with Mason or any of the kids and it was kind of weird. The reason they don't really know Spirit is because of me. We're trying to protect them from me… Just in case one day I really do go crazy. We know we cannot shield them forever, especially since I've gotten good about spirit. And since he knows about me… Why not?

"Is this the first time you have slept?"

"Pretty much. Alexis hasn't slept at all. She's afraid they'll come get me again, and do this." I didn't have to look at them, to know what he was talking about. I didn't know if I could heal through dreams. I didn't know if it actually works. There were so many things that could happen in dreams that do not happen in life. I wasn't for sure if I should try to heal him. But we'll never know if we do not try, right?

"I am not sure if I can heal through dreams."

"No, don't I can't ask that from you." I had to laugh, that is the first time in a long time someone told me that they couldn't let me do this besides Sydney. And it reminded me of Rose, back when she was in school.

"You're just like your mother."

"Hm?"

"Your mom didn't want Lissa or me using our powers on her. I think it was to stop us using our magic. But you hold it in for so long, it makes you crazy. You use it, and become crazy. There is no win, at least if we use it, our craziness takes longer."

"That sucks." I pffted and nod.

"Nicole worries you know? So does Dylan and Sophie. I can tell when I see their auras." He turned to me, with one eyebrow raised.

"Auras?"

"You haven't read the book? That's one of my many powers. I can see auras, what people are feeling. That's how I knew your mother and father loves each other."

"So while I am sleeping you can even see mines?" I had to nod, and look at him to see his.

"It's blue, gold, and a hint of black."

"And that means?" Honestly I didn't know what is could possibly mean, but I wasn't going to tell him that.

"Sadness mainly is in you aura. Love with the gold, and black… I don't know this is a black from what your mother's use to look like." I was staring at my feet. I tried to let go of the feeling of seeing auras, I wasn't sure how many times I've used it but it was getting harder to stop seeing them.

"So, if you dream walk. Why did you come here, to this particular place?"

"I wanted to see if I could get any idea where you were at. So I went to your subconious and let you fill in the blanks. That meant seeing you as whatever, then let it be."

"Well if you can change it that would be wonderful." His wish… my command. I thought of the beach, the waves crashing against the shore line and the sun shinning high in the sky.

"This was my favorite place to talk to your mother." It's an ocean, but I was thinking about in California. The ocean, there was beautiful.

"You keep mentioning my mom. Why?" I nod, and smiled. Somehow I knew they wouldn't have told him Rose and I were an item back when. I didn't really mind, that they didn't.

"Something told me she hasn't told you. After your father became what he did. We dated, even during her run away. She cheated on me with him, after that. Broke my heart, I loved you mother, for the little time. But I had to let her go."

"You're right she hasn't told me. Thanks for telling me, you could've been my dad." I patted his back and seriously laughed. I haven't put much thought into, being his father and what not but it brought a smile to my face and laughter to think about.

"Trust me, you don't want to be my child. I'll know every little thing you try to keep from me." We laughed. Mason took a step closer to the water. When I brought him here; I made the scars go away, he looked cleaned, and most importantly he looked healthy. I walked next to him, I stared out into the ocean and remembered Rose and how much she hated me when we talked like this.

"Your mom hated these talks, when she went after your father. We got so mad at each other I didn't try to talk to her until she was a Strigoi whore."

"Strigoi whore?"

"Strigoi whore, a strigoi had her, drinking her blood every so often. She still wouldn't tell me where she was. Your mother is stubborn and persistent."

"I can see that."

"Well, it was nice talking to you, Mason. But I need to tell everyone what I have found out." I walked away from him. Until he asked that I do not tell everyone about him feeding Alexis. I wasn't really going to tell the parents about this conversation anyways. It was strictly between me and him. I promised I wouldn't anyways. I gave a little piece of advice. I opened my eyes, into an empty room. Nothing that they gave us was going to be useful.

Rose walked into the room and sat down next to me.

"We're going to move the command center to a city between everyone. Dimitri, you, and I are going to be there the whole time as we get and give updates to everyone who is looking." I nod.

"We're leaving tonight. Pack a few things, we leave in ten." She left after that. I didn't know exactly the extent to bring things. I just packed up a few things and waked down stairs. The next time I talked to Mason was days and I tried to let him understand that he needed to be healed. He let me heal him, but I wasn't for sure that it worked, but I could hope. We left with him being mad at me.

I had my own room, while Rose and Dimitri made thiers into a common center . They wanted to all be in one room, but I told them in order to do what I needed to do I had to be alone and not stressed. It worked, and I haven't seen them for days. I did update them on that they could be underground, and that in fact they did say they were hours away from Baia. And that's all we had, the little people we did have we started to give by now. We only had the Un-promised ones looking now. The family hasn't given up for-say, but they haven't been looking a lot lately.

All I could do know was wait till Mason, starts calling me. IT was the only way; my power has grown and I could practically feel when people are looking for me in dreams, but only if they are looking. Finally I felt a tug…


	17. Getting Away

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy/Bloodlines. **

Chapter 15- Getting away

"You can't keep doing this ADRIAN!" I yell into the area we were. I could tell this one was at the Palace, in the spa area. Adrian climbs out of the hot tub.

"Mason, let me heal you." I looked down at my body. Blood was all over my chest, and you can see the burnt marks from the electrocution.

"Like I said before. Don't use your powers on me."

"Mason, I was in your head for the torturing."

"Were you also the one making me say those things?!" I pointed behind me, like that would add something to the conversation.

"At first I was just going into your head to check how Alexis was. That led to the session. Mason, I had to get answers."

"Using me as a toy is not the way to do it. What if they killed me? Who would keep Alexis hopes up then, uh?"

"That's why I said let me heal you. Let me see if it works through dreams."

"I am not some experiment, Adrian." I sat down at the bar, as he fixed a drink.

"Does that even work in dream walking?"

"It's my creation." He hands me one, I couldn't taste anything in it, but liquid splash around in the cup. We both look at the pool; it sparkled back from the lights overhead.

"Mason, you need to come up with a plan to get out."

"How? The only time that door opens is when they want a session, or when they give us food."

"If sessions keep going like that, there will be nobody to be looking for."

"They just want to keep me from fighting back, and I don't want them to know that Alexis knows how to use her powers for defense until we really need it."

"Well, I told Sydney and everyone else how they were. Sydney seeing if some of the Alchemist knows anything about a group here in Siberia."

"Isn't that dangerous for her?"

"She thinks it is worth it. I am not going to get in the way of what she think is right to do."

"But she is you're wife. Shouldn't you be worried?"

"I didn't say that." I bit the inside of my cheek.

"Sooo… Adrian if you create the dreams, why do I have blood going down my chest?"

"You know why."

"You really want to try to heal me don't you?" He doesn't answer, he stares off to space.

"Fine, I'll be the experiment. Try to heal me." Adrian turns to me, and places his hand on my chest. I couldn't really feel what I felt when Oksana had heal me, this was different. I guess because he wasn't healing broken bones he was healing scars. We both looked down at my chest the same time. I guess it works in the dream, but did it work in real life? We wouldn't know until I wake up, but Adrian was smiling to himself.

"It worked."

"We won't know for sure, not until I wake up."

"It doesn't matter. If your skin still looks like that, then they won't hurt you any further, but if your healed on the inside. You'll be able to fight." His concept didn't make much since, but then it did. Adrian's brain is a difficult thing to try to understand. I wasn't fixing to try either, he patted me on the back as the dream started to dissipate.

I woke up back Alexis's arms. She looked so scared and tears threatened her eyes, I brought her to me and hugged her. I petted her hair, and try calming her down as she cried in my shoulder. I try to say comforting things like 'We'll both leave soon', 'I won't let anything happen to you', and repeated those things over and over again.

The next time any of us was able to sleep was days later. I didn't want to talk to Adrian for a while. I was actually mad at him for doing what he did, and I didn't want to risk falling into a Spirit dream. When I thought it was my time to be tortured again, the guys nevered showed and I felt relieved. I do not think I would be able to survive another, I had kept telling myself that but they would always bring me to the brink of death and leave it alone. I was also pretty sure Alexis would do something the next time they try to take me this time.

"We need to come up with a plan, for when they open the door." Alexis says, for the past couple of days we haven't really said anything to each other. Just leaning on each other for support and to know that each other was alive. I knew it was time to feed Alexis again. But did I really want to risk dream talking with Adrian?

"Like what? It's difficult enough that J always has a gun with him. We don't know how many of their kind are up there. You want to try to run away blind."

"It's better than sitting here on our asses, Mason!" She yelled at me, and continued yelling. "We've been in here for almost two weeks. If our parents knew where we are by now we wouldn't still be here."

"You don't think I now that." I didn't have the strength to yell at her, I was on the verge of giving up myself. I don't have any words for her. She wasn't the one the guys decided to beat up on, she is not the one who has to give blood to a friend, she especially wasn't the one Adrian used as a puppet.

"Then think Mason! This is what you've been training for isn't it?" I just stare at her; she was now standing up and pointing at the door.

"Alexis, I think you just need some blood. You could've just asked, go ahead drink." I offered my arm up to her, but the expression on her face just got angrier.

"Mason, I am serious. We both haven't slept for days, fear that they'll come and hurt each other. That's not how I want to spend the last of my days."

"You don't think I know that. We're best friends. We know everything about each other; hopes and dreams. This isn't how I wanted to spend mine either. Being tortured, just so they don't get you. Keeping their attention on me."

"You've survived everything."

"Yeah, maybe that is all the pain I could handle." I was now standing in front of her, basically in her face. I was slightly taller than her, by a few inches. I could tell she about had it being in this hell hole.

"Then next time they come and get you. Lets fight." I shook my head.

"You need to understand that if we fight and get captured again, they could hurt you, because they now know that you could use your powers in defense. And running in their blind won't help."

"We have to try Mason. I am tired of just sitting on my ass, waiting to be rescued." She started backing down, I smiled not for her back down. It was more like I saw her fighting side to her, it was a nice change.

"If you really want to get out. We can come up with something. I'll have to talk to Adrian though, see what he thinks."

"Why does he only visit you?"

"I don't know. It was only twice, maybe I was easier to get into my head since I was open to it. I have no idea." We sat back down, and I handed her my arm. She seem to get what I wanted her to do. I've feed her every three days, or try. The last time I was able to stay awake, it was hard. But I managed, all I really had to do was rest. She sunk her fangs into my skin; she tries to do it in the same place so there wouldn't be a lot of marks all over my body. I would have to thank her later.

She finished faster than last time, and I leaned back. Letting the effects take over my body. I slowly dosed off, it took a while before I actually felt a spirit dream coming over me. I didn't know this place, it was unusual for me. It looked like jail, literally there were bars and wooden beds and a small toilet. I walked down to where the desk was and Adrian sat there as relaxed as can be.

"Knew some time, you would have to sleep. Didn't think it would be this long, though to tell you the truth." His feet lay on the desk, the chair leaned back, and he was picking at his nails.

"Alexis and I are going to try to get away, next time they open the door." He looked up at me and one of his eyebrows raise.

"Really?"

"I wouldn't lie about getting away."

"About time."

"What?"

"We can't do anything, everyone we had has given up. Saying you're good as dead by now. I couldn't give them anything because you refused to sleep."

"Couldn't you just go into my head and see that we were in fact alive?"

"That time, I never really left your head. I can't see through your eyes, just by trying."

"I don't understand."

"I can't do what I do during a spirit dream while you're awake. I can only do it if I nevered left, really. I am not that strong at compulsion." I nod and sit on the desk.

"So everyone has given up?" He removes his legs from the table and leans up to the desk.

"Not your parents, not Dylan, Sophie, Nicole, not me. Not the people who care for you and Alexis."

"Have you gotten close to figuring out where we are?"

"Nope. No leads on where you could be, no leads on anyone who saw the people who took you."

"So basically we are as good as dead if we don't try to get away."

"Yes." Well he is bluntly honest. I sighed and got up, he is no help anymore.

"We'll try contacting you if we get away." He nods, and gets up.

"If you're wondering why I picked this place and where this place is. It's the Palace jail, this was where your father spent time here, and where your mother spent here."

"So why are you showing me this?"

"I have no idea." With that the dream faded and I woke up next to Alexis. She was asleep, and looked very peaceful. With it being so quiet I started hearing things, they were coming from upstairs. It was music, loud music. But I could tell it wasn't the torture guys. I got up and started banging on the door, hoping they could hear me. I sure woke up Alexis, though. I don't know if she fully understood why I was doing what I was doing, but she joined me.

I heard the music turn down, then footsteps walking down stairs. Alexis and I didn't stop banging until the door swung open. I have no idea what our plan was when we got it to open, but I sure it wasn't stand there like idoits.

"So you guys are the new comers?" It was a girl who opened the door, broom in hand. Tattoos and pierces all over, her hair you can tell was colored black, and her brown eyes looked hollow. She was a dhampir.

"What do you mean new comers?" Alexis seem to find her voice faster than me.

"My bosses talked about you. You've taken too long to break, they want to kill you, you know."

"What do you mean by break?"

"Rogue alchemist, they need someone to do their clean ups. That's what you are here for. They need to break your spirits to get you to work for them."

"We don't want to be here, anymore."

"I can see by the way you were banging on the door."

"Will you help us leave?"

"Why? So I can be killed too?"

"Then come with us."

"No thank you."

"Please."

"No." She shut the door, and I think we lost our chance to getting away. We went back to sit down, when our door was opened again.

"I am so dead, but you need a chance. Go. They're not here, you can get away." She pointed to the door that was opposite from the direction they send me to be tortured. Alexis and I walked out hand in hand, so close to each other. Afraid that it was a joke and they would jump out of nowhere and do something outrageous.

"Go to the right, and then a left. The front door would be there." I nod and we get to the door, the girl was standing behind us sweeping.

"Come with us."

"No, they broke my spirits a long time ago. I do not think I'll be able to survive back in the Moroi world. Just go." We opened the door and took off, I have no idea where we could be going. I knew we needed to get far away from this place as possible. It probably been helpful if we asked how do we actually get to Baia. But the way she talked, she hasn't left that house in years.

Sunlight hit our faces, as soon as we stepped out the door. It couldn't be past two in the afternoon. I heard a car door slam Alexis and I ran into the woods not stopping until we couldn't see the house anymore. We took a rest on this branch. There was snow on the ground, and I didn't notice until I looked at the ground. How could I miss how cold it got, how could I miss the whiteness. I felt so stupid. Before we knew it, the guys showed up, smiling.

"Well well well. He is still a trooper." J laughed, walking closer to me. They're a couple of alchemist, how much fighting skills could they have? This was actually the first time I saw him without a gun. I went into a fighting stance that only made them laugh. J attacked me, faster than I know any human too. To the ground we fell, and rolled for a while. He got some punches in, and then I would get some. I wanted this guy to hurt as much as he has hurt me. I punched him in the face so many times, his face and my hand were bleeding. He spit out the blood, and smiled. Blood was all over his teeth.

He pushed me off, and stood up. He wanted a real fight, I would give him one. His punches didn't hurt as much as strigoi's did and they damage a lot less. As J and I were circling each other trying to find out a way to catch each other off guard. He brought out a pocket knife. SERIOUSLY! I thought, these guys sure like afflicting pain.

He went for it, attacking first with the knife. I simply moved out of the way. He turned and looked at me. Trying again, he was a sloppy fighter, and I knew how I could use this. I jumped on his back and did a chokehold on him. He tried to reach behind him to pull me forward, but would miss every time.

All of a sudden we heard a girlish scream. J turned to look, his partner was engulfed in flames. Seeing I was still watching his partner burn J took this time to catch me off guard and throw me to the floor. He then stabbed me and then got up. Blood started pumping out of my stomach, I have no idea if he hit a major organ, but I wasn't fixing to pull out the knife.

Alexis ran over to me and checked if there was anything she could do. Seeing there pretty much wasn't she did the same to J as she did to the partner. We watched him die, and she helped me up. She put my arm around her neck and helped me walk, she tried keeping me up straight, coaching me every step of the way. We walked as far as a road sign, I had to stop. I wouldn't let Alexis take the knife out; we didn't know the extent to how much damage was.

"Alexis let me sleep."

"No, Mason you may never wake up."

"I have to. Adrian tries to contact me a lot, maybe he is trying now. They need to know where we are at." She nods, as tears start rolling down her face. She helped me sit, and covered me up with the jacket. I reached up and whipped off the tears. She started petting my hair, and I fell asleep mainly out of exhaustion. I opened my eyes, I saw a clear blue sky above me. I still had the jacket over me. I turned when I heard snow crunch under the pressure of someone walking.

Adrian popped out of the woods. He smiled, and walked closer to me.

"I see you got away." He looked at the sign that was in perfect view from where he was standing. Verta and 70, the sign I understood read.

"Verta, uh. You're a few miles outside Baia. I've been over the map many times."

"Then start heading over here now. We don't know where to go." He looked back at me, and his face was full of question.

"Why aren't you getting up?" Even in the dreams, when he does this I can feel everything. I moved the jacket off of me. He bent down and touched the knife. I could tell he was fixing to take it out.

"No, we don't know if its touching any major organs."

"Mason-"

"No." He sighed and ran his fingers threw his hair.

"Look you need to be healed."

"And how do you know once you take it out I won't bleed out?"

"I'll heal what damage is on the inside."

"I've already lost a lot of blood, taking it out I may just die. You've heal tiny SCARS not holes in me. Do you really want to chance that?"

"No."

"Then, go. And hurry, we're not going anywhere. I can't even move." He nods and everything disappears. I woke up to Alexis staring down at my face, concerned.

"They're coming."

Alexis kept telling me encouraging words in my ears . How I am going to live a long life, how I am going to be the best guardian anyone could have because I care. How one day little 'Mason's' will be running around. I could feel I was fading fast, but I had to hold on, Adrian or Lissa would heal me once they get here I just have to hold on. I looked at the sky; I could tell sunset was beautiful. I didn't dare move to see it though. The most I have moved was when Alexis put my head in her lap.

"Alexis?"

"Yes, Mason." She had been staring at the road for some time now. I know she knows that I wouldn't make it any longer. It was like she was willing them to show up right now.

"I've kept this in for a while and I need you to know this." The day Alexis and I were taken, when I was thinking who understood me better. I thought it was Alexis, not only because Nicole and I are so different. It was because Nicole doesn't know where to start to understand me. I also figured out why it was so easy for me to tell Alexis things and not Nicole.

"Dylan and I had this conversation one day. Talking about our futures with our girlfriends. I told him I didn't see one. Not just with Nicole, see a future in general." She shook her head, and looked at the road.

"Mason, don't talk like that."

"Alexis, face it they won't reach us in time." Her tears had stopped some time ago, but they became again. This time faster, her eyes were puffy from where she has been crying before.

"Mason, stop. Please." I touched her face, I couldn't feel anything anymore. Not her skin when I touched her, not her lap. Not even her hand on my chest.

"I know why now. I need you to know, that, that I probably couldn't see a future with Nicole was that there was none with her. Alexis, you get me. You know when to be serious or when to joke." She slightly smiled, I leaned up to kiss her. I felt more been senseless, than ever when I kissed Nicole. I knew I was right about what I was thinking.

"I love you." I laid back down and stared at her. I wanted to get one last look at her. She placed her head on my chest, wrapping her arms around me. Noise came from the background and her head shot up.

"Mason, I think that's them. They're here Mason." She smiled and looked down at me, but I was gone before they even got here. I started closing my eyes.

"No, no, no. Mason hold on, just a little longer." Her face had developed new tears. I try to tell her, don't worry but the darkness came over me.

You know how some people say you see your life flash before your eyes when you die? It didn't happen for me. It was just like where I was, snow everywhere and the beautiful sunset. It would be weird to say that I was standing over my body and I wasn't. It was just an imprint of me and my blood everywhere. I sat on the log that was next to my bloody imprint, I am dead.

_-End of chapter?-_

_Don don donnnnnnnn. *Enters evil smile* Review! _


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